AU2013204320A1

AU2013204320A1 - Drop door seal with drop adjustment

Info

Publication number: AU2013204320A1
Application number: AU2013204320A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Russell Clark
Original assignee: Raven Products Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Raven Products Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2012-04-27
Filing date: 2013-04-12
Publication date: 2013-11-14
Anticipated expiration: 2033-04-12
Also published as: AU2013204320B2; GB201307481D0; GB2502696B; GB2502696A

Abstract

A drop door seal for a door including an elongate sealing member being movable vertically between an extended position and a retracted position with respect to the bottom of the door, the elongate sealing member being moved by way of one or more 5 biasing members connected to first and second actuators, said first and second actuators being coupled to a pivotable member positioned therebetween by respective first or second actuator arms, and a mount or mounts being attached to said elongate sealing member for engaging with said one or more biasing members, the drop door seal being adjustable for either symmetric or asymmetric movement of the elongate 10 sealing member in the vertical direction while inhibiting sideways displacement thereof, wherein the adjustment can be achieved by moving at least one mount horizontally along the elongate sealing member to adjust the tension of said one or more biasing members. C14,

Description

P/00/011 Regulation 3.2 AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT ORIGINAL TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT Name of Applicant: Raven Products Pty Ltd Address for Service: A.P.T. Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys PO Box 222, Mitcham, SA 5062 Invention Title: Drop door seal with drop adjustment The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:- Drop door seal with drop adjustment FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a drop door seal and in particular to the drop adjustment for a movable elongate sealing member of the drop door seal. 5 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A number of automatic drop door seals are currently available and have been described, including the seal described in the applicant's earlier Australian Patent Application 2007237192. The automatic drop door seals typically comprise a moveable elongate sealing member dimensioned to fit inside a channel member. The sealing 10 member includes an elongate flexible portion for engagement with the threshold of the door. The sealing member is moveable vertically between an extended position and a retracted position with respect to the bottom of the door. The automatic drop door seal is typically spring-loaded such that the sealing member is biased away from the floor and operated by an activation button positioned 15 on one end of the drop door seal as it bears against a door jamb. Accordingly as the door is opened by a few millimetres the sealing member is lifted clear of the floor, thereby reducing wear on the flexible portion as the door continues to be opened. The automatic drop door seals therefore engage the floor when the door is closed and retract automatically when door is opened. The seal may be face mounted, 20 semi-morticed or fully morticed into the door. A difficulty with earlier drop door seals is that operation of the seal is from one side only, or if not then unevenly from both sides. The net result is that typically there is a sideways movement of the seal following the movement of the sideways actuation. This results in the incomplete sealing of the gap beneath the door, which is important, for 25 example, where the apparatus is being provided to seal against noise or smoke. There are however circumstances where asymmetric dropping of the movable sealing member is desirable. In these circumstances the movable sealing member including the flexible portion is dropped on the hinge side of the door first. This tends to reduce dragging of the rubber seal on the latch side. However in currently available 30 seals this causes sideways movement of the movable sealing member, often referred to as end float, which can cause the seal to jam against the door frame leading to damage either to the door frame and door or at least to the drop seal. If there is no jamming, abrasive rubbing of two adjacent parts may result in excessive wear, as the end portion of the lower sealing member abrades against the channel within which it is held. 5 The length of drop door seals are typically manufactured to allow an installer to shorted the seal by cutting off some of the length for different installations. This means that the door seal can be used for slightly different width doors and for different mounts, including face mounting and inside a mortice in the door. Accordingly, the biasing means may be set to one side in the assembly, and typically the drop mechanism is 10 closer to the actuation side or hinge side of the door than the latch side of the door. This however results in a greater load on the latch side spring of the biasing means than the hinge side spring, when moving the sealing member. It should be appreciated that any discussion of the prior art throughout the specification is included solely for the purpose of providing a context for the present 15 invention and should in no way be considered as an admission that such prior art was widely known or formed part of the common general knowledge in the field as it existed before the priority date of the application. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with an aspect of the invention, but not necessarily the broadest 20 aspect, there is proposed a drop door seal for a door including an elongate sealing member being movable vertically between an extended position and a retracted position with respect to the bottom of the door, the elongate sealing member being moved by way of one or more biasing members connected to first and second actuators, said first and second actuators being coupled to a pivotable member positioned therebetween by 25 respective first or second actuator arms, and a mount or mounts being attached to said elongate sealing member for engaging with said one or more biasing members, the drop door seal being adjustable for either symmetric or asymmetric movement of the elongate sealing member in the vertical direction while inhibiting sideways displacement thereof, wherein the adjustment can be achieved by moving at least one mount horizontally 30 along the elongate sealing member to adjust the tension of the biasing member or members.

The mount or mounts comprise a single mounting block or multiple mounting blocks fixable to the elongate sealing member. The position of the mounting block or blocks can be changed to vary the tension of at least one of said biasing members. The adjustment may provide asymmetric or angled drop of the elongate sealing 5 member while limiting sideways displacement thereof. Asymmetric movement of the elongate sealing member may be required when one end of the movable sealing member needs to be dropped first to engage with the threshold of a doorway. For instance it may be desirable to drop the end of the sealing member adjacent the door hinge before the end of the elongate sealing member that is 10 adjacent the latch side of the door, to reduce wear on the flexible portion of the elongate sealing member. The position of the mounting block or blocks relative to the elongate sealing member can be changed to vary the tension of at least one of said biasing members or the tension along a single biasing member. 15 In one form the first and second actuators are attached to respective biasing members, each biasing member comprises a leaf spring, wherein the tension of the leaf spring is adjustable by a corresponding mounting block to provide asymmetric or symmetric movement of the elongate sealing member or to increase the load capacity of the leaf spring. 20 The biasing members may include respective leaf springs and be positioned to one side of the door, being closer to the hinged side of the door than the latch side of the door. The tension of one or both of the leaf springs can be adjusted to provide asymmetric or symmetric movement of the sealing member, or to increase the load capacity of at least one of the leaf springs. 25 In another form a single leaf spring extends between the first and second actuators and extends under a single mounting block that is attached to the elongate sealing member at a mid region of the single leaf spring. The movement of the single mounting block along the elongate sealing member therefore causes the unequal tensioning of opposite ends of said single leaf spring, thereby providing asymmetric or 30 symmetric movement of the elongate sealing member or to increase the load capacity of one side of the single leaf spring.

The at least one mounting block may be adjusted to shorten the flexing length of one of said leaf springs thus making it stiffer, for instances on the latch side of the door relative the hinge side of the door. In one form the mounting block may be moved towards the latch side effectively 5 shortening the latch side leaf spring and lengthening the hinge side leaf spring. This will allow the hinge side of the sealing member to deflect more than the latch side of the sealing member. In another form two mounting blocks could be used, wherein each mounting block engages with one of the leaf springs connected to first or second actuators. One 10 or both of the mounting blocks could be movable to adjust the tension of the spring or springs. In another aspect of the invention a generally horizontal plane of the first actuator arm corresponding to the longitudinal length of the first arm, is positioned at an angle to a generally horizontal plane of the second actuator arm corresponding to the longitudinal 15 length of the second arm. The first actuator arm may be coupled to the pivotable member at an angle of between 100 to 250 relative the second actuator arm and preferably is coupled at an angle of 180 relative the second actuator arm. The angle of the first actuator arm relative the second actuator arm may be 20 maintained throughout the movement of the pivotable member. In one form the ratio of horizontal displacement of the actuator arms with respect to each other changes as the actuator arms move in opposite direction to thereby shift the sealing member between the fully retracted and fully extended positions. The present invention provide a drop door seal having an adjustment means that 25 minimises sideways displacement of the moveable sealing member while maintaining operation force on the striker or door jamb, and providing the required bias of drop on the hinge side of the sealing member. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of 30 this specification, illustrate implementations of the invention and, together with the description and claims, serve to explain the advantages and principles of the invention. In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a drop door seal of the present invention; Figure 2 is an end view of the drop door seal of figure 1; 5 Figure 3 is a schematic view of the drop door seal attached to a door and positioned to one side thereof; Figure 4 is a partial perspective view of the first actuator and the actuator arms coupled to the pivotable spindle mounted within the spindle housing; Figure 5 is an exploded view of the actuator arms, pivotable spindle and spindle 10 housing; and Figure 6 is a side schematic of the actuator arms, pivotable spindle and spindle housing illustrating the relative angle at which the actuator arms connect to the pivotable spindle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED AND EXEMPLIFIED 15 EMBODIMENTS There are numerous specific details set forth in the following description. However, from the disclosure, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications and/or substitutions may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. In some circumstance specific details may have been omitted or 20 enlarged so as not to obscure the invention. Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings. Figures 1 and 2 illustrate a drop door seal 10 for attachment to a door 12, including a downwardly open channel member 14 having a movable elongate sealing member 16 supported therein. The downwardly open channel member 14 may be face 25 mounted on the door 12, semi-mortised or fully mortised, as illustrated in figure 2. The sealing member 16 is moveable vertically between a retracted position and an extended position with respect to the bottom of the door 12 by way of biasing members 18, 20 that operate between the channel 14 and the sealing member 16. The biasing members 18, 20 include respective leaf springs 22, 24 that are mounted to first and second actuators 26, 28 retained within an upper portion of the channel 14 by longitudinally extending cross members 30. An actuation button 32 being adjustably connected to actuator 26 is positioned such that it extends outwardly from within the channel 14 and clear of the side of the door 12 so that on closure of the door the 5 activation button 32 causes the actuator 26 to slide laterally towards the centre of the drop door seal 10. The first and second actuators 26, 28 are movably linked by way of actuator arms 34, 36 and pivotable spindle 38. Accordingly as the actuator 26 slides laterally across it urges actuator 28 to likewise slide inwardly towards the centre. The linkage of 10 the first and second actuators 26, 28 means that on inward movement of the first actuator, the second actuator moves inwardly to the same extent but in the opposite direction. The reverse or return action of the coupling may be assisted by the placement of a coiled return spring 40 between the actuator 26 and spindle housing 42. The actuator arms 34, 36 include opposing ends configured to pivotably engage 15 the spindle 38 and respective actuator 26, 28. The spindle 38 is pivotable around an axle shaft 44 that extends at right angles to the direction of sliding of the actuators 26, 28. The spindle 38 is pivotably connected to the spindle housing 42 by axle shaft 44 therefore couples the sliding movement of the first and second actuators 26, 28, but in an opposite direction. The actuator arms 34, 36 connect to the spindle 38 at an equal 20 distance from the axle shaft 44, which ensures that the degree to which the actuators 26, 28 slide is substantially identical. An end of each leaf spring 22, 24 is mounted to respective actuators 26, 28 and the opposing end of each spring is coupled to a mounting block 46 attached to the sealing member 16. The location of the mounting block 46 is indicated by dotted lines in 25 figure 1, however it should be appreciated that a multiple mounting blocks could be used that are attached to the sealing member. The first and second actuators may be equidistant from a longitudinal centre of the channel 14, which may coincide with a centre of action of the springs 22, 24. The reader will appreciate that the leaf springs are generally bowed downwardly and contact the sealing member, to which they are 30 fastened, either by the mounting block 46 or a fastener such as a screw. Alternatively they may pass under a rod or similar capturing means on the sealing member, to thereby enable positive retraction of the sealing member 16 substantially within the channel 14. Modular connecting rods 48 may be positioned between the actuators and the actuator arms for longer drop door seals. Figure 2 illustrates the sealing member 16 in the retracted position wherein the activation button 32 extends outwardly from an end of the channel 14. On closure of the 5 door 12, the activation button 32 is pushed in by the doorjamb (not shown), which in turn pushes the first actuator 26 inwardly toward the centre of action of the spring, at the same time actuator arms 34, 36 and pivotable spindle 38 transfers the inwardly sliding movement to the second actuator 28, to ensure that both actuators move toward the centre of action of the spring to the same degree. The compression on the leaf springs 10 24, 24 cause them to bow further downwardly, thus extending them vertically downward, to urge the sealing member 16 into an extended position, as illustrated by the dotted lines in figure 2. Retraction of the leaf springs 22, 24 is the reverse of the extension, in that as pressure on the activation button 32 is released upon opening of the door, the springs are allowed to straighten out to a degree, and as such the drop seal 16 is drawn 15 back up into the channel member 14 under the influence of the spring 22, 24. As further illustrated in figures 1 and 2 the activation button 32 is adjustable by way of adjustment screw 50 and spring 51, as is known in the art. The sealing member 16 includes a U-shaped extrusion 52, and elastomeric portion 54, which in the illustrated embodiment are two parallel tubular members that act together to facilitate 20 accommodation of uneven floor surfaces. The elastomeric portions 54 are retained within respective capturing channels 56 that extend longitudinally down the underside of the U-shaped extrusion 52. The drop door seal 10 may also include resiliently flexible skirts 58 that extend down either side of the U-shaped extrusion 52 to inhibit the ingress of dirt or other 25 foreign matter that could foul the drop seal mechanism. The resiliently flexible skirts 58 are retaining within respective side opening C-shaped channels 60 that extend along either side of the extrusion 52. As illustrated in figure 3 the biasing members 18, 20 are positioned to one side of the door 12, wherein they are closer to the hinged side 62 of the door than the latch side 30 64 of the door. In the present embodiment the spindle 38 is supported within a spindle support member 42 by way of axle shaft 44 around which the spindle can rotate. The spindle 38 includes first and second spigots 70, 72, as illustrated in figure 5 on opposing sides of a central axle member 74 delineating an axis of rotation 76, as illustrated in figure 4. The first and second spigots 70, 72, are dimensioned to provide pivotal engagement with respective clasp means 78, 80 formed on first ends of the first and 5 second actuator arms 34, 36. The spigots 70, 72 are evenly spaced apart at diagonally opposite positions relative to the pivot axis 76 so that rotation of a first of the spigots a set distance in one direction results in rotation of the second of the spigots for the same distance in an opposite direction. This means that sliding movement of the first actuator for a set distance in one 10 direction will be translated to sliding movement of the second actuation for the set distance in the opposite direction, which results in a similar degree of vertical movement for both of the springs 22, 24 to thereby evenly drop the sealing member 16. The opposing ends of the actuator arms 34, 36 include projections 82 for engagement with a socket 84 in the end of the actuators 26, 28, or connecting rod 48. 15 As further illustrated in figure 5 the spigots 70, 72, have a generally circular cross section and are configured to be rotatably engaged by respective clasp means 78, 80. In the present embodiment the clasp means 78, 80 on respective actuator arms 34, 36 are sideward open apertures that include a generally circular bore 84 having a larger diameter than a reduced opening 86. Accordingly, once the clasp means 20 engages with a respective spigot the opening 86 inhibits disengagement from the spindle. Respective openings 86 of clasp means 78, 80 frictionally engage the spigots 70, 72 to inhibit disengagement while permitting pivotable movement of the arm relative the spindle, whereby the spigot can freely rotate within the circular bore 84. The reader 25 should appreciate that the clasp means may alternatively be a simple hook or may include a deformable portion to thereby maintain engagement with the spigot. The spindle 38, as illustrated in figure 5, includes first and second generally parallel side walls 88, 90, a central axle member 74 extending between the walls and including a lateral aperture 92 for passage of the axle shaft 44 therethrough. The first 30 and second spigots 70, 72 extend between the parallel side walls 88, 90 on opposing side of the central axle member 74 and at an equal distance therefrom, for attachment of the actuator arms 34, 36. In the present embodiment the spindle support member 42, as illustrated in the figures, includes a body 94 having downwardly and rearwardly projecting spaced apart 5 sidewall portions 96, 98. The sidewall portions 96, 98 include respective lateral generally circular apertures 100 being coaxially aligned for passage of the axle shaft 44 therethrough to thereby delineate the axis of rotation 76 of the spindle. As illustrated in figure 5 the spindle 42 is inserted between the spaced apart sidewall portions 96, 98 and the lateral aperture 92 aligned with the apertures 100 of the 10 sidewall portions. The axle shaft 44 is then inserted therethrough to pivotably connect the spindle 38 to the spindle support member 42. The first and second actuator arms 34, 36 have a generally vertical elongate cross section, wherein the actuator arms are connected to the spindle and can be positioned between the spaced apart sidewall portions 96, 98 of the spindle support member 42 within cavities 106, 108. 15 In the illustrated embodiment a single mounting block 46 engages both springs 22, 24 as shown in figures 1 and 3. The mounting block 46 can be adjusted to shorten the flexing length of the one of the springs 22, 24 thus making it stiffer and able to lift a heavier load, for instance, on the latch side of the door 12 than on the hinge side. As illustrated in figure 3 the mounting block can be moved towards the latch side 64 of the 20 door 12 effectively shortening the latch side spring 24 and lengthening the hinge side spring 22. This allows the hinge side of the sealing member to deflect more than the latch side of the sealing member resulting in the asymmetric lowering of the sealing member. The reader will appreciate that the present invention provides an adjustment 25 means for the drop door seal 10 for providing asymmetric movement of a sealing member 16 in the vertical direction or alternatively the symmetric lowering of the sealing member. The adjustment means can therefore be used to increase the load capacity of at least one of the leaf springs 22, 24. It may be desirable to drop the end of the sealing member adjacent the door 30 hinge before the end of the sealing member that is adjacent the latch side of the door. This can reduce the wear on the flexible portion of the sealing member.

Therefore the mounting block 46 may be moved towards the latch side effectively shortening the latch side leaf spring and lengthening the hinge side leaf spring. This will allow the hinge side of the sealing member 16 to deflect more than the latch side of the sealing member and therefore overcomes, or at least ameliorates, the problems 5 associated with having the biasing members positioned to one side of the drop sealing member relative the bottom of the door or allows for asymmetric lowering of the elongate sealing member. In another embodiment a generally horizontal plane of the first actuator arm 34 corresponding to the longitudinal length of said first actuator arm 34 is at an angle to a 10 generally horizontal plane of a second actuator arm 36 corresponding to the longitudinal length of said second actuator arm 36. The first actuator arm 34 may be coupled to the pivotable spindle 38 at an angle of 180 relative the second actuator arm, as illustrated in figure 6. This angle is maintained throughout the movement of the pivotable spindle 38. 15 The ratio of horizontal displacement of the actuator arms with respect to each other changes as the actuator arms move in opposite direction to thereby shift the sealing member between the fully retracted and fully extended positions. This thereby allows for the door seal to be adjusted allowing for either the symmetric or asymmetric lowering of the elongate sealing member. 20 The reader will now appreciate that the present invention provide a drop door seal having an adjustment means that minimises end float of the moveable sealing member while maintaining operation force on the striker or door jamb, and in another aspect provides the required bias of drop on the hinge side of the sealing member. Various features of the invention have been particularly shown and described in 25 connection with the exemplified embodiments of the invention, however, it must be understood that these particular arrangements merely illustrate and that the invention is not limited thereto. Accordingly the invention can include various modifications, which fall within the spirit and scope of the invention. It should be further understood that for the purpose of the specification the word "comprise" or "comprising" means "including 30 but not limited to".

Claims

1. A drop door seal for a door including an elongate sealing member being movable vertically between an extended position and a retracted position with respect to the bottom of the door, the elongate sealing member being moved by way of one 5 or more biasing members connected to first and second actuators, said first and second actuators being coupled to a pivotable member positioned therebetween by respective first or second actuator arms, and a mount or mounts being attached to said elongate sealing member for engaging with said one or more biasing members, the drop door seal being adjustable for either symmetric or 10 asymmetric movement of the elongate sealing member in the vertical direction while inhibiting sideways displacement thereof, wherein the adjustment can be achieved by moving at least one mount horizontally along the elongate sealing member to adjust the tension of the biasing member or members.

2. The drop door seal in accordance with claim 1 wherein the mount or mounts 15 comprise a single mounting block or multiple mounting blocks fixable to the elongate sealing member.

3. The drop door seal in accordance with claim 1 or 2 wherein the position of the mounting block or blocks relative to the elongate sealing member can be changed to vary the tension of at least one of said biasing members or the 20 tension along a single biasing member.

4. The drop door seal in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein an end of the sealing member adjacent a door hinge is lowered before an end of the sealing member adjacent a latch side of the door, to thereby reduce wear on a flexible portion of the elongate sealing member. 25

5. The drop door seal in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the first and second actuators are attached to respective biasing members, each biasing member comprises a leaf spring, wherein the tension of the leaf spring is adjustable by a corresponding mounting block to provide asymmetric or symmetric movement of the elongate sealing member or to increase the load 30 capacity of the leaf spring.

6. The drop door seal in accordance with claim 1 wherein a single leaf spring extends between the first and second actuators and extends under a single mounting block attached to the elongate sealing member at a mid region of the single leaf spring, whereby movement of the single mounting block along the 5 elongate sealing member causes the unequal tensioning of opposite ends of said single leaf spring, to provide asymmetric or symmetric movement of the elongate sealing member or to increase the load capacity of one side of the single leaf spring.

7. The drop door seal in accordance with claim 5 wherein one of the corresponding 10 mounting blocks is moved to shorten the flexing length of the respective leaf springs.

8. The drop door seal in accordance with claim 2 wherein a single mounting block engages both a latch side leaf spring and a hinge side leaf spring is moved to shorten one of said latch side or hinge side spring thereby lengthening the 15 opposite leaf spring.

9. The drop door seal in accordance with claim 8 wherein the single mounting block is moved towards a latch side and fixed to the elongate sealing member thereby shortening the latch side leaf spring and lengthening the hinge side leaf spring, wherein the hinge side of the sealing member to deflect more than the latch side 20 of the sealing member.

10. The drop door seal in accordance with claim 2 wherein a first and/or a second mounting block of said multiple mounting blocks are/is moved to adjust the tension of a spring or springs.

11. The drop door seal in accordance with claim 1 a generally horizontal plane of the 25 first actuator arm corresponding to the longitudinal length of the first actuator arm, is positioned at an angle to a generally horizontal plane of the second actuator arm corresponding to the longitudinal length of the second actuator arm.

12. The drop door seal in accordance with claim 11 wherein the first actuator arm is coupled to the pivotable member at an angle of between 100 to 250 relative the 30 second actuator arm.

13. The drop door seal in accordance with claim 12 wherein the first actuator arm is coupled to the pivotable member at an angle of 180 relative the second actuator arm.

14. The drop door seal in accordance with any one of claims 11 to 13 wherein the 5 angle of the first actuator arm relative the second actuator arm is maintained throughout the movement of the pivotable member.

15. The drop door seal in accordance with any one of claims 11 to 14 wherein the ratio of horizontal displacement of the first and second actuator arms with respect to each other changes as the actuator arms move in opposite direction to thereby 10 shift the sealing member between the fully retracted and fully extended positions.

16. The drop door seal in accordance with any one of claims 11 to 15 wherein adjustment of the drop door seal minimises sideways displacement of the moveable sealing member while maintaining operation force on the striker or door jamb, and providing the required bias of drop on a hinge side of the sealing 15 member.