MXPA99000848A - Assembly of cort background tensioner - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a curtain edge tension assembly comprised primarily of a portion of the curtain extending through the leading edge of the door. The curtain portion is releasably coupled to a guide extension extending beyond the leading edge of the door and engaging guide members to guide the door in a plane. The guide extensions also engage the guide members to restrict the movement of the guide extensions towards the center of the curtain. The releasable coupling between these guide extensions and the resilient member applies a tension on the curtain portion. The curtain portion is elongated through the door and serves as a bar or bottom edge for wind retention that substantially fits an obstruction or curves around it, thereby preventing or minimizing damage to the door , to the background bar and obstruction

Description

ASSEMBLY OF CURTAIN BACKGROUND TENSION FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention relates generally to doors comprising a folding door curtain, and more particularly to a soft, adjustable, improved bottom bar for a rolling door.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Industrial doors in which the door itself is made of foldable material such as fabric, are used in a variety of applications, typically for the purpose of separating areas within a construction, or closing the entrances to buildings from the Exterior. Examples of these folding doors are flat doors, doors that are stored or rolled up, and roll-up doors. The flat doors include frame members in which the fabric comprising the door is placed. This plane of material can then be moved between a blocking position of the entrance and a storage position, wherein the plane of the material and the associated frame members are placed above the entrance. The frame typically includes extensions that extend beyond either side of the door and that can be received within the guide channels to guide the door through its vertical movement. These P1091 / 99MX extensions can include wheels or trolleys. A storage door at the top is similar in that the fabric door is held in frame members and can be moved between entry and storage lock positions. In this door, however, the storage position is high, as in a typical garage door. Accordingly, the guiding members associated with this door will curve between the vertical and the horizontal. A typical rolling door comprises a fabric curtain that winds around an articulated roller for rotation about the entrance with which the roller door is associated. To close the door, the roller is rotated such that the curtain unrolls from the roller to close the entrance. Of course, the door opens by reversing the direction of the roller and rotating the fabric curtain on the roller. These roller doors are typically operated either open and closed, or are operated open and dropped closed by gravity. Since the invention is contemplated for use primarily with roll-up doors, it will be described with reference to them. However, the invention can also be used in combination with other folding doors. In addition, the invention can be applied to industrial doors that are mounted for horizontal operation, as opposed to vertical operation. P1091 / 99MX When a roll-up door is placed over an exterior entrance of a building, it should be anticipated that the fabric curtain will not be undulated due to the force of the wind applied from the outside. Similarly, when the roll-up door is in place between different sections of a warehouse, there may be pressure differentials between these two sections, which could also cause the rolling door to undulate if the door does not have the provision to prevent this from happening . This ripple can be problematic since it prevents the operation of the door and allows leakage around the door. To correct this problem, roll-up doors typically include a rigid or semi-rigid bottom bar, to help prevent the above problem and which is generally referred to as "wind retention". The bottom bar typically extends through the wide door guide, and also includes extensions that extend beyond either side of the door. These extensions typically couple side frames placed on either side of the door and that will run vertically along the side of the entrance. As the door moves between its open and closed doors, the bottom bar and its extensions move within a generally vertical plane since the extensions are coupled and guided along or P1091 / 99MX inside the lateral frames that, in general, are vertical. With the guide handle of the door thus held in a vertical plane, the movement of the fabric curtain of the door away from that vertical plane is largely avoided. However, the bottom bar only ensures that the leading edge of the door remains in the vertical plane, and strong gusts of wind or large pressure differentials between the sections of a building can still allow the rest of the curtain to roll. either during the curtain trip or when it closes completely. To prevent this undesirable movement of the door, many doors of the prior art provide wind retention by the use of a tensioning means to apply a tension vertically arranged on the door and prevent it from curling from the vertical plane. An example of this tensor medium is a heavy bottom bar. The weight of the heavy bottom bar may provide sufficient vertical tension to prevent undesirable undulation, particularly (but not exclusively) in a gravity-type type door. Alternatively, an external means may be used to provide the necessary tension. For example, girdling is often used for this purpose. Typically, one end of the belt is attached to the roller and rolled up and PI091 / 99MX unrolls, from the roller in the opposite direction of the curtain. The belt is then passed through a pulley mounted near the bottom of the side frame. The other end of the strap then attaches to the extensions of the bottom bar. As the belt is rolled up and unrolled from the roller in a direction opposite to the curtain, it exerts a pulling force down on the bottom bar and the side frame is inserted, thereby placing the necessary vertical tension on the door. Other particular arrangements for tightening in addition to that described previously are also used to achieve the same purpose. Furthermore, it will be appreciated that reference has been made to a "bottom bar" this description can also refer to a bar placed on the leading edge of a horizontally placed door. A further example means for exerting the necessary vertical tension on the door, at least in the closed position, is a system wherein the extensions of the bottom bar are secured in position when the door is in the closed position. In the case of the roller door, operated, the motor is then inverted to exert the necessary vertical tension of the door to hold it taut. While the variety of methods described above for wind arrest are generally P1091 / 99MX effective in preventing this problem, these are not free from their own disadvantages. For example, obstacles in the travel path of the background bar can be problematic. If an obstacle is in place in this position and the door continues downward movement, damage could occur to either the door or the object. In addition, if the obstacle is people, items or equipment can suffer damage with the door or personal injury. To avoid this problem, doors employing bottom bars also typically include some type of perception mechanism to determine when an obstacle has been encountered. These sensors are coupled to the motor that drives the roller, and cause the door to reverse when encountering an obstacle. However, these sensors may be subject to malfunction, and add both cost and complexity to the door.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Thus, it is a general purpose of the invention to improve the mechanisms of the bottom bar for use in folding doors compared to those that have been used to date. In accordance with this purpose, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a bottom bar for these doors having improved characteristics of P1091 / 99MX security. It is a related object to provide a bottom bar that does not cause or that will minimize the injury or damage to the obstructions encountered during the trip down the door. It is the further object of the invention to provide a bottom bar that is adjustable to meet the demands of the potentially changing environment in which the door is located. It is a further object of the invention to provide a bottom bar that can be implemented and maintained easily and cheaply. Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description that follows. In accordance with these and other objects, a curtain edge tension assembly comprised primarily of a resilient member extending through a door edge, typically through the bottom of the door, is provided. However, the invention can also be used on the guiding edge of a door operating horizontally. The resilient member is coupled directly or indirectly to a guide extension extending beyond the guide edge of the door and engaging the guide members positioned on the side edges of the door to guide the door in a plane. The extensions P1091 / 99MX guide also attach the guide members to restrict the guide extensions from moving towards the center of the curtain. The coupling between these horizontally constrained guide extensions and the resilient member places a tension on the resilient member. The resilient member is thus lengthened through the door or curtain and serves to operate a bottom bar. Unlike what happens with a typical bottom bar, however, on impact with an obstruction, the "soft" edge according to the invention will substantially adjust to the obstruction or deviate around it, thereby preventing or minimizing damage to the door, the soft edge and the obstruction. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the soft bottom bar is a resilient belt that extends through the bottom of the door, and received inside a bag or flap formed in the door for that purpose. At either end of the door, the strap is received inside an end stiffener, semi-rigid. The end stiffener is adapted to engage a releasable type guide extension that is restricted in a horizontal direction. Included along the length of the resilient belt is a tension member which allows tension and resilient belts to be advantageously adjusted. With the guide extension mechanism, detachment P1091 / 99MX joined to the end stiffeners, semi-rigid, the resilient strap stretches through the bottom of the door and joins to advantageously act as a soft bottom bar. According to a further aspect of this preferred embodiment of the invention, the door section below the soft bottom bar includes a loop for receiving a stabilizer tube. The stabilizer tube is a tube of material filled with a compressible material, such as sand or garnet soil, gel, silicone, or high viscosity liquid, etc. The stabilizer tube extends through the guide edge of the door and provides a way to keep the door taut in a vertical direction. At the same time, it provides a soft and foldable door bottom and produces an excellent bottom seal when the door is in the closed position. According to another embodiment, the resilient member is the leading edge of the curtain itself, the curtain that is formed of a material having sufficient tensile strength to perform this function.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS OR FIGURES Figure 1 is an elevation view of a curtain bottom tension assembly in accordance with a P1091 / 99MX embodiment of the invention, shown in conjunction with a removable side frame insertion mechanism; Figure 2 is a top view of a horizontally constrained guide extension according to one embodiment of the invention; and Figure 3 is a terminal view of the guide edge of a roller door including a curtain bottom tension assembly and a stabilizer tube according to the invention; Figure 4 is an isometric view of the door with which the edge tensioner assembly according to the invention could be used, and showing a preferred embodiment of the edge tensioner assembly; Figure 5 is the door of Figure 4, shown after impact by a fork truck; Figure 6 is an exploded view of the truck forming an aspect of the invention in accordance with the preferred embodiment; Figure 7 is an isometric view of the truck and belt forming an aspect of the preferred embodiment of the invention and shown attached; Figure 8 is the structure shown in Figure 7 but shown separately; Figure 9 is an exploded view of a fin fastener for use with an industrial part of P1091 / 99MX according to the invention; Figure 10 is an isometric view of a roller and fin plate according to the invention, shown in the attached position; Figure 11 is a view of the structure of the Figure 10 shown separately; and Figure 12 is a view of the structure of Figure 11 according to an alternative embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS While the invention will be described in conjunction with certain preferred embodiments, it is not proposed to limit them to these modalities. On the contrary, the intent is to cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Turning now to Figure 1, a curtain edge tensioner assembly according to a required embodiment of the invention is shown, particularly a tensioner assembly in the bottom or guiding edge of a roller door operating vertically. However, as mentioned, the tensioner assembly can be used in combination with other industrial doors that include flat doors and overhead storage doors, or with doors that operate horizontally. In this modality, the assembly P1091 / 99MX curtain bottom tensioner includes a resilient member and other components mounted to a curtain door guide edge, and restricted side frame inserts, which attach to the side frame inserts to place the resilient member through from the bottom of the door in tension. The side frame inserts are "restricted" as they are prevented from moving towards the center of the door, as detailed below. In this mode of a door operating vertically, the restriction of movement towards the center of the door is a horizontal restriction. The components through the bottom of the door will be referred to herein as a "soft bottom bar". However, the use of this term is not proposed to be limiting. Rather, the invention broadly encompasses a curtain tensor assembly in the form of restricted guide extensions moving toward the center of the door coupled to a resilient member, positioned along the guide edge of the door, regardless of whether discrete components are placed along the edge of the curtain, as in this modality, or if the fabric of the curtain of the door itself forms the resilient member, as will be described in greater detail later. The curtain bottom tension assembly of this mode is designed to be used with a door P1091 / 99MX conventional roller that includes a curtain 10 of fabric, the leading edge of which is shown in Figure 1. The vertical guide members, illustrated in the shape of the members 20, 30 of the side frame, support the roller in the which the curtain is rolled and placed laterally along either side of the door, and include the vertical side channels that can receive the sides of the curtain above the section of the bottom bar, as well as the guide extensions that they are attached to the background bar and are described in greater detail later. The curtain 10, in the area of the soft bottom bar, optionally is of reduced width, the curtain narrows, for example, in the sections, 11, 12 shown in Figure 1. The soft bottom bar generally designated by reference number 40 in Figure 1 is shown placed in this preferably narrower section of curtain 10 at or near its bottom edge. The soft bottom bar 40 is comprised mainly of a resilient member in the form of a belt 50, which extends through the bottom edge of the door. Other types of resilient members could be used in addition to the belt 50, such as rope, resilient rope and the like, a braided steel rope of 1/8 inch which is particularly preferred. To extend the strap or other resilient member to either end of P1091 / 99MX the rope, and to cause additional rigidity in that area, the semi-rigid end stiffeners 60, 65 receive the respective ends of the resilient belt 50. According to the present embodiment, the end stiffeners 60, 65 are, in General, rectangular in shape and its main axis extends along the horizontal width of the door. Each stiffener 60, 65 includes a slot 61, 66 which is dimensioned to receive the width of the resilient strap 50. In this embodiment, the strap 50 is received within the slots 61, 66, near their respective ends. Each end of the strap is then stitched onto a portion of the belt 50 near the end stiffeners 60, 65, thereby forming a loop of the belt 50 received within the slots 61, 66, in the present embodiment, the belt 50 is actually two belts, one attached to stiffener 60, and one to stiffener 65. The two belts are coupled through a centrally located tension member 170, which is discussed in greater detail later. A variety of resilient materials can be used for the resilient belt 50. As will be discussed later, the belt 50 according to this embodiment will typically have a tension applied thereto, to stretch it illustratively 2-5% more than its non-stretched length. In this way, a resilient material is required that provides this stretch without being P1091 / 99 X requires undue force. At present, the best material that has been found for the belt 50 is a canvas-type belt material, in the form of a 1-inch wide polyester belt, with a rating of 1,000 pounds. The strap is manufactured by S.I.R. ebbbing, Inc; Model Number 17337. As mentioned, the preferred resilient rope, if used, is a 1/8 inch braided steel rope, available from a variety of sources. As can be seen from Figure 1, the resilient belt 50 and the end stiffeners 60, 65 are preferably received within a pocket formed in the fabric curtain 10. As an alternative embodiment, the resilient belt 50 could be sewn directly to the fabric of the curtain. In the embodiment of Figure 1, this bag is in two sections 70, 75 shown in dashed lines. The bag has been primarily for maintaining the belt 50 and the end stiffeners 60, 65 in the appropriate vertical position in the curtain 10. According to the invention, the guide extensions extend beyond either side of the door curtain. and they are attached to the guiding members to guide the door on a plane. In the present embodiment, the guide extensions are in the form of lateral frame insert assemblies that are received within the guiding members P1091 / 99MX vertical shaped side frames. The end stiffeners 60, 65 are preferably coupled to these side frame inserts which, preferably, also include a detachment or detachment characteristic. In the present embodiment, the end stiffeners 60, 65 are coupled to the removable side frame magnetic insert assemblies, as described and claimed in the US Patent Application Serial No. 06 / 386,436 which was filed concurrently with the application. previous of this request. Meanwhile, in this preferred embodiment, an indirect detachable coupling between the guide extensions and the resilient number is described, the invention may also encompass a direct or non-detachable coupling. A removable, magnetic side frame insert according to the submitted application 436 will be described in sufficient detail to allow one skilled in the art to understand it. Since the side frame inserts on either side of the door are the same, only one will be described. A side frame insert in the shape of a truck 100 is received within the side frame 20. The truck is comprised primarily of a flat piece of metal or other regulated material, having wheel 105, 106 wheels secured to the front and back of the truck, for the P-091/99 X free rotation with this one. The side frame 20 includes a horizontally extending projection, one of which is shown in a dashed line at 110 in Figure 1. The wheels of the truck engage this projection 110 to guide the vertical moving cart within the side frame, as curtain 10 of tissue is lifted and lowered. This arrangement of the horizontal wheel and protrusion wheels can be seen more clearly in Figure 2. Returning to Figure 1, coupled to the truck plate 10 is a first support 115 in the form of C. A second support 120 in the form of C is received within the first C-shaped support 115, and jointly articulated by an articulation pin 125. Attached to the second form member 120 is a coupling magnet 130. The coupling magnet 130 is received inside. of a cup assembly 140 comprised of a plastic or other non-ferrous material. The assembly of cups 140 receives a ferrous member 145 in its interior, which extends towards the rear part of the cup and towards the bottom bar of the door curtain, to which the magnetic detachment mechanism is attached. In Figure 1, the portion of the ferrous member extending out of the back of the cup is shown, and is designated by the reference number 150. This portion of the magnetic release mechanism 150 is attached to the bottom bar at P1091 / 99MX the roller door. With the coupling magnet 130 received within the magnetic cup assembly 140 and the magnet 130 magnetically coupled to the ferrous member 1.45, the release mechanism is mounted for operation. The side frame inserts break or come off when sufficient force is applied to the door, which exceeds the magnetic force of the coupling magnet 130 and the ferrous member 150. As described in more detail in significant detail in the '436 filed application , this detachment mechanism has the significant advantage of being omni-directional, and having the ability to detach in a variety of directions and force magnitudes that are exerted on the door. While the release mechanism has been described in some detail, it is only an example representative of the type of release mechanism usable with the new curtain bottom tension assembly. Broadly, the invention is directed to a curtain-edge tensioner assembly that includes a resilient member positioned along the guide edge of the door, and coupled to the guide extensions that restrict movement towards the center of the curtain, from so that, in the coupling of the guide extensions to the resilient material, a tension is placed on the resilient material. In the example guide extension in the form of P1091 / 99MX a described lateral frame insert, the engagement of the truck wheels IJ6, 105 with the resulting projection 110 in the side frame 20 restricts the horizontal movement truck in the direction of arrow 112 of Figure 2 One skilled in the art will appreciate that other restricted guide extensions, within the scope of the present invention, can be employed in an advantageous manner. These restricted guide extensions require contact between the extension and the guide member to restrict the movement of the extension while also providing smooth movement of the extension along the guide member, during the travel of the door. In the present embodiment, the side frame insert includes a coupling member that engages the side frame to perform these two functions. The coupling member in the present embodiment is in the form of the plurality of truck wheels 105, 106. Alternate designs of the insert could also achieve the functions of the coupling member. It should also be noted that the guide extension according to the present invention can not include a peel-off function as in the side frame inserts of the '436 application filed. In addition, while the detachment mechanism, currently described, provides the separation of the bottom bar and the frame insert P1091 / 99MX outside the side frame, the invention is not limited thereto. E. change, given the resilient nature of the bottom bar or tensioner assembly according to the present invention, the resilient member itself could extend into the side frame, with the release between the resilient member and a side frame insert occurring within of the lateral frame. As mentioned, a guide extension having restriction of movement towards the center of curtain, similar to that of the present embodiment, forms an aspect of the invention since it allows a tension to be applied to the belt 50 in conjunction with the bar soft bottom to the guide extensions or respective inserts. This connection is achieved, according to the present embodiment, by means of the end stiffener 60 which is coupled to the lateral magnetic release frame insert, by means of the stiffener 160 which is coupled to the lateral magnetic release frame insert, by means of of bolt 160 coupling, for example, the ferrous material 150 to the end stiffener 60. With the end stiffener 60 coupled to the side frame insert, the stiffener 60 of the resilient belt 60 (together with the other combination of end stiffener / insertion member) together with a cup assembly 140 comprises the bottom bar through the bottom of the curtain 10 joining the curtain to the inserts of P1091 / 99 X side frame, and also serves to stiffen the bottom edge of the curtain to provide wind retention. According to the invention, the belt 50 has a non-elongated length before joining the cup assembly 140 to the horizontally constrained side frame inserts. The belt 50 is then stretched to a length illustratively 2-5% greater than its non-stretched length. This loading or lengthening of the resilient belt 50 for securing the horizontally restricted inserts ensures that the belt is sufficiently stretched across the bottom of the door to perform the desirable functions of the bottom bar, including wind retention. . However, at the same time and according to a significant aspect of the invention, the soft edge or bottom bar according to this embodiment can substantially adjust to the obstacles or deviate around them. That is, upon finding the smooth bottom bar an obstacle, the presence of either the resilient strap 50 or another resilient member in place of a rigid member, as is conventional, allows the soft bottom bar to be substantially adjusted or divided. around any obstacle you may encounter. By the use of the term "substantially adjust or deviate around" it is proposed to communicate that the coupling P1091 / 99MX between the soft background bar and, according to this mode, an obstacle, may result in the background bar taking several possible configurations. This function is provided by the fact that the bottom bar is in the form of a resilient member as opposed to a rigid member, as is conventional. The soft bottom bar can be "substantially adjusted" to an obstacle by the profile of the bottom bar that takes the profile of the obstacle. Of course, depending on the height of the obstacle above the floor, this "adjustment" of the bottom bar can only take place on a portion of the obstacle. However, if the object is close enough to the floor, the bottom bar can be adjusted completely around the upper outer surfaces of the obstruction. In this situation, the soft bottom bar is designed to allow, for example, the obstruction to come out under the door, with the bottom bar adjusted around it in this configuration. This ability to remove the obstruction without the need to stop or reverse the direction of the door is advantageous. In addition, the resilience of the bottom bar prevents the obstacle from being crushed by the continuous trip down the door to the floor, as would be the case with a rigid, conventional bottom bar. In other situations, the background bar P1091 / 99MX soft and according to this mode can "deviate" around the obstruction. For example, if the obstruction only protrudes minimally in the plane of the door, the downward sloping bar may be coupled to an obstacle surface and then, by virtue of the resilient nature of the bottom bar, deviate around the obstacle such that the bottom bar and the door can continue downwards, although in a plane slightly different from the one in which the door was traveling before finding the obstruction. If the door is adjusted or deflected around the article it will depend on which of these represents the route of the last resistance to the continuous travel of the door. The provision of both "adjust" and "deviate" from the soft bottom bar, in accordance with this modality, significantly improve the security of this background bar compared to the non-deformable, non-deviable, rigid bottom bars. In addition, the need for a means of perception to immediately stop or reverse the door in contact with an obstruction can be eliminated. When the soft bottom bar is advantageously used with the omni-directional side frame, peel-off insert, in accordance with the filed US Patent Application Serial No. 08 / 386,436 which was filed concurrently with the earlier application of this continuation partly, P1091 / 99MX detachment of the soft bottom bar may occur as the bottom bar adjusts to the obstruction object. To provide tension adjustment capability in the soft bottom bar, an adjustable tension member 170 is included in this preferred embodiment. This adjustability can be desired, for example, when increased wind retention is required when changing environmental or atmospheric conditions. In the present embodiment, the tension member 170 is in the shape of a curve that receives the ends of two sections of the resilient belt 50, can be adjusted and secured along the lengths thereof. According to an alternative embodiment, the resilient belt 50 can be a single belt extending through both grooves 61, 66 with the two ends attached or coupled to the tension member 170. The presence of an adjustable tension member allows the tension of the resilient belt 50 or other resilient number is adjusted as desired for a specific environment. With the respective ends of the soft, adjustable bottom bar, coupled to the horizontally constrained side frame inserts, the tension on the resilient belt 50 can be increased, without the risk of pulling the side frame inserts inwardly, so Do not fit the side frame any longer.

P1091 / 99MX In addition, if the soft bottom bar, adjustable according to the invention, is used with a lateral magnetic release frame insert, as described in the co-pending US patent application, Serial No. 08 / 386,436 which was presented concurrently with the previous application of this application, the magnetic coupling can be advantageously adjusted in order to allow the desired tension to be placed on the resilient belt 50. With the stronger magnetic coupling between the coupling magnet 130 and the member ferrous 150, increased stress can be placed on the resilient belt 50. As noted previously, under typical circumstances, it is assumed that the resilient belt 50 or any resilient member that is used, is lengthened only in the range of 2-5% of its length when attached to any side frame insert and used in combination with the soft bottom bar. The presence of the tension member 170 makes it possible to adjust the degree of elongation as desired. The soft bottom bar according to this preferred embodiment of the invention also advantageously includes a stabilizer tube 200. According to a preferred embodiment, the stabilizer tube 200 is in the form of a resilient hose type material, filled with a compressible material such as sand, grenade P1091 / 99MX floor, gel, silica, etc. that will allow the stabilizer tube to fit eustantially or bend when the stabilizer tube contacts either the floor below the door opening or an obstacle. With the hose material filled with sand, one of the compressible materials listed, the stabilizer tube 200 assumes a generally circular cross section, seen more clearly in the end view of Figure 3. According to the preferred embodiment, the tube stabilizer 200 is received within a loop 210 formed by the bottom of the curtain that bends backwards, in itself, although the stabilizer tube could be located in "other positions of the door, including above the resilient strap 50. The guide edge of the curtain and a portion of the curtain above the stabilizer tube 200 can advantageously be provided with complementary strips of Velero-type fasteners. Of course, another means can also be used to form the loop 210 at the bottom of the curtain. The stabilizer tube 200 is advantageous since it provides weight at the bottom of the door. This is particularly advantageous if the soft bottom bar according to the invention is used in a door that falls by gravity. In this situation, the weight of the stabilizer tube keeps the curtain taut in the vertical direction. At the same time, stabilizer tube 200 P1091 / 99MX filled with granular material is soft and foldable. In this way, the stabilizer tube 200 would also substantially adjust or curve around any obstacle found similar to the soft bottom bar 20, according to the invention. In addition, the deformable stabilizing tube 200, when it engages the floor below the door in the closed position, provides an excellent seal that prevents the detachment or entry of air below the bottom of the door. To protect against undue wear to the guide edge of the curtain, the soft bottom bar 40, and the stabilizer tube 200, the loop seal 230 is preferably provided. According to the present embodiment, the loop seal is simply a piece of fabric, which is the same fabric of which the curtain 20 is comprised, although other materials could be used. As seen more clearly from the side view of Figure 3, the two ends of the loop seal are secured to the curtain at 240. Preferably, each end of the loop seal 230 is provided with Sailboat ", and a Sailboat strip ", which provides on both sides of the door as in 240 in Figure 1. The loop seal 230 encloses and protects the various components retained within it. As mentioned above, the soft bottom bar and the side frame inserts, horizontally P1091 / 99 X, described above, are only a representative embodiment of the curtain bottom tension assembly according to the invention. In alternative embodiments, the described components forming a "soft bottom bar along the leading edge of the door are not required." All that is required according to the invention is a resilient means placed on the guide edge of the door. door, and coupled to the restricted guide extensions of the movement towards the center of the door, and extending beyond the sides of the door, and coupling the guide members to guide the door in a plane, and restricting the guide extensions of the door. In the case of a "soft bottom bar" described thus, the resilient member was the belt 50. However, according to an alternative embodiment, the resilient member may be the leading edge of the curtain itself This will require that the curtain be formed of a material having sufficient tensile strength and resilience to perform the advantageous function of substantially adjusting to obstacles or deviating around of these, that are found while you are under stress. An example of a suitable curtain material that satisfies these criteria is manufactured by Seaman, and has the number of parts 3150 (MFRLTA) and another is made by the same manufacturer and has the part number 8138XR-40. In this modality, this curtain fabric P1091 / 99MX resilient is lengthened and the ends of the curtain are secured to the guide extensions, horizontally restrained to form a curtain bottom tensioner assembly according to the invention. The tension applied to the guide edge and the curtain ee could be adjusted, for example, by changing the relative position of the point where the guide extensions meet the curtain. A currently preferred embodiment and the embodiment which is considered the best mode for carrying out the invention of a soft bottom bar using the curtain material itself, is shown in Figures 4-13. Figure 4 shows the door 300 which it includes a door curtain 310, the guiding edge of which forms a soft edge or bottom bar according to the invention. To stretch the guide edge of the curtain 300 to form the bottom bar, two edge portions of the guide edge side of the curtain 310 engage members that are restricted in movement towards the center of the curtain, in the form of trolleys 400 that are received within the guiding members and are guided by them, in the form of side frames 320. In this embodiment, the side frames extend vertically since the door is mounted for vertical operation. The invention is not limited, however, and could be used in a horizontal orientation or P1091 / 99MX other, with the side frames extended along the side edge of the curtain. With the side edges of the curtain coupled to the trolleys 400 (Figure 4), the guide edge of the curtain forms a smooth edge that can substantially adjust to the obstacles or curve around them, just as in the previous modalities. For this purpose, the curtain 310 is preferably in the form of a woven fabric, based on single sheet POLYESTER, which weighs 15 ounces / square yard and is coated with a POLYURETHANE coating to a total weight of 65 ounces / square yard. The preferred source of this fabric is Seaman Corporation, Model No. 6660 OBU. The connection between the lateral edges of the curtain and the trolleys 400 is also releasable, as in the previous embodiments, for impacts or forces above the predetermined magnitude. An example of this type of impact that would cause the separation of the curtain of the trucks 400 is shown in Figure 5, a forklift that hits the door. In this way, the bottom bar according to this preferred embodiment of the invention has the advantage of being able to substantially adjust to the obstacles encountered or bend around them and to be broken by large forces or impacts on the door. The releasable coupling between the edges P1091 / 99MX of the curtain 310 and one of the trucks 400 is seen in greater detail in the exploded view of Figure 6, as well as the two isometric views in Figures 7 and 8. It will be appreciated that the curtain will include the Same structure on both side edges of the curtain. In this embodiment, the portion of the releasable coupling associated with the curtain is in the form of at least one plate 350 fixed to the side edge of the curtain, near the guide edge thereof. As will be apparent from the figures, this embodiment includes two plates 350 on each side of the door, which are similar in structure and function. A plate or two could be used according to the invention. In the present embodiment two plates are used since one (the bottom plate) serves for an additional function of forming a part of a perception system for sensing the impact on the door, system which is the subject of the North American patent application number series 08 / 686,996, presented concurrently with the present. Although the bottom plate serves for this additional function, however, in combination with the guide edge on the curtain and the carts it also serves for the soft edge bar according to the invention. For the purposes of this specification, the operation of the bottom plate will be described. Plate 350 is illustratively formed of two P1091 / 99MX halves 350a and 350b, which include a portion of the curtain interspersed between them. Rivets, screws or other fasteners could be used to hold the two halves together. In the alternative, the plate 350 could be a unitary member fixed in the curtain. The coupling portion of the plate 350 is in the form of two arms 352, 353 defining the slot 355 therebetween. At the end of a slot there is a detent 357, illustratively of a circular shape. For the purposes of coupling the table 350 to the truck 400, the truck 400 includes a post member 460 fixed thereto and positioned perpendicular to the slot 355 for engagement in the slot 355 of the plate 350. The post member 460 shown in the exploded view of the Figure 6 includes a narrow portion 461 at one end thereof, which simplifies the re-assembly of the releasable coupling after separation, but which is not proposed to limit the scope of the invention defined by the appended claims. The post 460 in the thickest region is designed to have a diameter approximately equal to the diameter of the retainer 375 in the groove 355. This diameter is also slightly larger than the width of the groove 355. The post member 460 is preferably formed from NYLON 6/6, although the use of NYLON 6/6 is currently being investigated P1091 / 99MX with a molybdenum disulfide additive. With the post 460 positioned in the retainer 357, the plate 350 and the truck 400 are releasably engaged such that they can travel together as the door travels. For an impact force or detachment in the door above a predetermined amount, however, the plate 350 will be released from the truck 400. For forces below the predetermined amount (such as could be applied to the door by wind or pressure differentials) the class does not want the separation of the first member and the second member. For an impact in the plane of the entrance D (for example, the impact by a fork truck as in Figure 5) the portion of the curtain between the plates 350 will tilt inward. For an impact from the plane of the entrance (for example, in the curtain that travels downwards that encounters an obstacle), the curtain will tilt upwards. At the same time, the truck 400 is restricted in its movement in the direction towards the center of the curtain. To provide this restriction of movement towards the center of the curtain, the cart 400 illustratively includes the rollers 435 placed in either of a body 436. These rollers, in turn, engage the boss 410 in the side frame 320, such as the projections that are marked in the isometric views of the P1091 / 99MX Figures 7 and 8. The coupling between the rollers 435 and the projection 410 prevents the truck from moving towards the center of the curtain, even though the leading edge of the curtain deforms as described above with impact on the curtain . Accordingly, the inclination of the curtain, combined with the restriction of the truck 400 exerts a force on the plate 350 which tends to separate the plate and the curtain to which it engages from the truck 400. In response to this force, the post 460 exits the detent 357 and in the main section of the slot. This action forces the arms 352, 353 to separate to allow the continuous passage of the post 460. The plate 350 is formed of a resilient material such that it will return to its original dimensions after the post 460 has been pushed completely out of the slot 355. Preferably, plate 350 is formed of NYLON 6/6. The possible use of NYLON 6/6 with a molybdenum disulfide additive is also being investigated. The releasable coupling according to this embodiment provides engagement of the truck 400 and the plate 350 for unimpeded operation of the door, and also provides separation of the plate 350 and the truck 400 for impacts on the door above a certain magnitude. The magnitude of impact that will cause P1091 / 99 X This separation can be modified in a variety of ways. For example, by changing the composition of the curtain material, its resilience can be increased or decreased, a decreased resilience which means that the curtain will deform less with the same impact, thereby exerting a greater separation force on the releasable coupling, causing separation of the plate to the truck for an impact on the door of a small magnitude. In the same way, the structure of the arms 352, 353 in the plate 350 could be modified to give a greater resistance to the separation of the truck 400. An example of this modification can be seen in the upper plate 350 of the view in cutting out of Figure 6. As can be seen here, the upper arm of 353 is thicker than the lower arm 152. The thickness added in the arm 353 requires that a greater separation force be exerted by the post 460 so that the post exits the slot 355. To decrease the force required for the separation of the post and slot, the post could be formed of a deformable material, such that it would be compressed as it leaves the slot. Other examples of modifications that would change the magnitude of the impact required to separate the plate and the truck for this releasable coupling will be apparent to those skilled in the art. P1091 / 99MX The releasable coupling and in accordance with this aspect of the invention can be advantageously used for wind retention of side edges of the curtain in areas of the curtain other than its leading edge. An example of this releasable coupling for greater wind retention the curtain is seen in Figures 9-11, and in the full view from the door in Figure 4. In this case, the releasable coupling comprises the same plate 350 as shown in FIG. found the guide edge of the door, and a modified trolley 500. The trolley for this embodiment is simply a set of wheel 510, 515 wheelbarrow joined by a removable shaft 520. A roller or washer 525 fits on the shaft. It is the combination of shaft 520 and roller 525 that forms the post according to the invention. As before, the post is designed with a diameter approximately equal to the diameter of the detent 357 in the groove 355, slightly larger than the width of the groove 355. The shaft 520 is preferably removed to allow an easier reassembly of the releasable coupling after of liberation. The truck 500 is restricted from moving in a direction towards the center of the curtain. As best seen in Figure 4, the wheels 510, 515 of the truck engage the projection 410 in the side frame, thereby preventing this movement. P1091 / 99MX The detachable coupling gap is similar to that described with reference to the releasable coupling on the curtain guide edge, Figures 10 and 11 are shown. Under normal operating conditions, the door, wheelbarrow 510 (the second has been removed for clarity) attach the lateral frame protrusions (Figure 4), as the door moves between its open and closed positions. If wind or other small forces are exerted on the door, the releasable coupling between the truck 500 and the plate 350 retains the edge of the curtain in its proper function and proper orientation. For forces of the curtain above the predetermined magnitude, however, a pulling force tending to separate the plate 350 from the truck 500 exerts on the coupling. This force pulls the roller 525 out of the detent 357, and the continuous moment of the roller 525 to the groove 355 forcibly separates the arm 352, 353, possibly allowing the release of the truck and the plate. As mentioned with respect to this releasable coupling in the guide edge of the door, the post in the shape of the roller 525 can be modified by allowing the post to deform as well as the arms. The result of forming the post between this deformable material is seen in Figure 12, which shows the post compressed between the arms 352, 353 P1091 / 99MX during separation of the releasable coupling. Any of the various embodiments of the invention, which can be contemplated by one skilled in the art, share the common stress characteristic that is applied in the area of the guide edge of the curtain by means of a resilient member coupled to horizontally restricted guide extensions. . These curtain bottom tension mounts are designed to substantially fit or hang around encountered obstacles, while still giving the advantageous functional features of the curtain, typically associated with the rigid bottom bar, which includes wind retention. Since a curtain bottom tension assembly according to the invention is substantially adjusted or curved around any resolution that might be encountered, the need for sensors to sense these obstructions is eliminated, and the need for the signal to stop or reverse the door. The invention also encompasses the production of a releasable coupling between the guide edge of the curtain and the guide extensions. In this way, for encountered obstacles or impacts, the curtain can be substantially adjusted or curved, or it can be separated from the guide extensions, depending on the magnitude of the force exerted by the curtain. Other advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. P1091 / 99MX

Claims (6)

1. NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION Having described the present invention, it is considered as a novelty and, therefore, the content of the following CLAIMS is claimed as property: 1. A curtain edge tension assembly for a door curtain, which includes a center and that selectively blocks and unlocks an entry and that includes: an outgoing and guiding members that are placed on either side of the entrance and that include the outgoing; wherein the curtain edge tensioner assembly comprises, in combination: a portion of the curtain extending through the guide edge of the door; guide extensions releasably engaged at either end of the curtain portion, the guide extensions that extend laterally beyond the guide edge of the door and are engageable with the guide members to guide the door in a plane, the guide extensions are engageable with the guide members to restrict the movement of each guide extension towards the center of the curtain; the guide extensions releasably engage the curtain portion to place a tension on the curtain portion; P1091 / 99MX whereby the tensioned curtain portion acts as a wind retention edge which can be substantially adjusted or curved around the encountered obstacles 2. The curtain edge tensioning assembly according to claim 1, wherein the guide extension which is a wheelbarrow includes wheels that engage the projection on the guide member to prevent the truck from moving towards the center of the truck. The curtain edge tension assembly according to claim 2, wherein the releasable coupling between the guide extension and the end of the curtain portion comprises: a plate coupled to a side edge of the curtain, including arms defining a slot, the slot includes a detent; a post coupled to the guide extension and which can be received inside the retainer for coupling the guide extension and the curtain, whereby a force on the door above a predetermined amount causes the post to leave the retainer and slot, such that the arms are forced apart to allow movement of the post in the slot. 4. A releasable coupling to attach a P1091 / 99MX side edge portion of a door curtain to a guide extension and to provide separation of forces at the lateral edge portion and the guide extension, at the door, above a predetermined amount; the guide extension engages a guide member positioned adjacent the inlet to prevent the guide extension from moving towards a center of the curtain, the releasable coupling comprising: a plate fixed to a side edge of the curtain, including arms defining a slot , the slot includes a retainer; a post coupled to the guide extension and that can be received inside the retainer for coupling the guide extension and the curtain; whereby a force in the door above a predetermined amount causes the post to leave the stopper and enter the slot, such that the arms are forcedly separated to allow continuous movement of the post in the slot. The releasable coupling according to claim 4, wherein the diameter of the post is substantially equal to the transverse suction area of the retainer. The releasable coupling according to claim 4, wherein the plate comprises two halves fixed to the curtain. P1091 / 99MX