Curtain of a vertical sliding roll-up door, provided with a lateral air seal

Abstract

A vertically sliding roll-up door has a portal structure including vertical uprights provided with guide rails for guiding the sliding of blocks fixed along the lateral edges of the curtain, to allow the curtain to move vertically with respect to the portal structure. The curtain includes air-sealing gaskets which extend substantially over the entire length of the longitudinal edges of the curtain at the blocks, in order to block the passage of air between the guide rails and the blocks.

Claims

1. A curtain of a vertical sliding roll-up door, the door comprising a portal structure including vertical uprights provided with guide rails to guide a sliding of blocks fixed along lateral edges of the curtain, in order to allow the curtain to move vertically with respect to the portal structure, wherein the curtain is provided with air-sealing gaskets that extend substantially over the entire length of the lateral edges of the curtain at said blocks, in order to block passage of air between the guide rails and said blocks, said gaskets having a first portion fixed to one or more of the lateral edges of the curtain, or to a strip for fixing said gaskets to the curtain, and a second portion that projects from a plane of the curtain, which is configured to rest slidably on an outer surface of the respective guide rail, wherein said gaskets are formed of an elastic material in a flat form, whereby said second portion, in its configuration of use resting on an outer surface of the respective guide rail, takes on a deformed shape with respect to a flat shape, such as to create an elastic return force that keeps the second portion close to the respective guide rail.

2. The curtain of 1, wherein the curtain includes said gaskets on both sides of each of the lateral edges of the curtain.

3. The curtain of claim 1, wherein each of said gaskets comprises a strip of an elastomeric material, such as a foam of said elastomeric material.

4. The curtain of claim 1, wherein each of said gaskets is fixed to a flexible strip to which said blocks are connected, the curtain being fixed to this strip by sewing or welding.

5. The curtain of claim 1, wherein the second portion of each of the gaskets has a laminar shape.

6. The curtain of claim 1, wherein an end of said second portion of each of the gaskets is thicker than the first portion.

7. The curtain of claim 6, wherein said second portion of each of the gaskets has a tubular shape.

8. The curtain of claim 2, wherein each of said gaskets comprises a strip of an elastomeric material, such as a foam of said elastomeric material.

9. The curtain of claim 2, wherein each of said gaskets is fixed to a flexible strip to which said blocks are connected, the curtain being fixed to this strip by sewing or welding.

10. The curtain of claim 2, wherein the second portion of each of the gaskets has a laminar shape.

11. The curtain of claim 2, wherein the end of said second portion of each of the gaskets is thicker than the first portion.

12. The curtain of claim 11, wherein said second portion of each of the gaskets has a tubular shape.

13. The curtain of claim 1, wherein the second portion of each of the gaskets has a laminar shape.

14. A curtain of a vertical sliding roll-up door, the door comprising a portal structure including vertical uprights provided with guide rails to guide a sliding of blocks fixed along lateral edges of the curtain, in order to allow the curtain to move vertically with respect to the portal structure, wherein the curtain is provided with air-sealing gaskets that extend substantially over the entire length of the lateral edges of the curtain at said blocks, in order to block passage of air between the guide rails and said blocks, wherein each of the gaskets has a first portion and a second portion, wherein an end of the second portion of each of the gaskets is thicker than the first portion, and wherein said second portion of each of the gaskets has a tubular shape.

15. The curtain of claim 14, wherein the curtain includes said gaskets on both sides of each of the lateral edges of the curtain.

16. The curtain of claim 14, wherein the first portion of said gaskets is fixed to one or more of the lateral edges of the curtain, or to a strip for fixing said gaskets to the curtain, and the second portion that projects from a plane of the curtain and is configured to rest slidably on an outer surface of the respective guide rail.

17. The curtain of claim 16, wherein said gaskets are formed of an elastic material in a flat form, whereby said second portion, in its configuration of use resting on an outer surface of the respective guide rail, takes on a deformed shape with respect to a flat shape, such as to create an elastic return force that keeps the second portion close to the respective guide rail.

18. The curtain of claim 14, wherein each of said gaskets comprises a strip of an elastomeric material, such as a foam of said elastomeric material.

19. The curtain of claim 14, wherein each of said gaskets is fixed to a flexible strip to which said blocks are connected, the curtain being fixed to this strip by sewing or welding.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

(1) Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become clearer from the following detailed description, given by way of non-limiting example and referred to the attached drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a roll-up door comprising a curtain according to the invention,

(3) FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a guide rail associated with an upright of the door of FIG. 1, the cavity of which is slidably engaged by blocks fixed to a lateral edge of the curtain according to the prior art,

(4) FIG. 3 is a cross-sectioned elevational view of the guide rail of FIG. 2 and of a block fixed to the lateral edge of the curtain according to the prior art,

(5) FIG. 4 is a cross-sectioned elevational view of a detail of a first modification of the curtain of the invention,

(6) FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a section of a guide rail with a respective portion of the curtain according to the first modification of the invention,

(7) FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 4 of a detail of a second modification of the curtain of the invention, and

(8) FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 5 showing a section of guide rail with a respective portion of the curtain according to the second modification of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(9) With initial reference to FIG. 1, a vertical sliding roll-up door comprises a portal structure 10 which defines a generally rectangular opening of a wall 12, delimited by an upper cross member 14, by a pair of parallel vertical uprights 16 and by a lower base plane 18. The opening of the portal structure 10 can be closed by means of a flexible curtain 20, which is mounted vertically slidable with respect to the structure 10. Commonly, the curtain 20 is made of a plastic material such as PVC, polyethylene or polyurethane, or of a plasticized textile material, and has a thickness of the order of millimeter or a few millimeters.

(10) Above the portal structure 10 there is provided a shelter room 14a of the curtain 20 in its raised condition corresponding to the open condition of the door.

(11) Each guide rail 22 is shaped as a fork-shaped section with a pair of parallel branches between which a longitudinal cavity 23 is defined.

(12) A continuous series of blocks 26 is connected to each lateral edge of the curtain 20, which slidably engage the cavities 23 of the respective guide rails 22 the cross section of which substantially corresponds to the profile of said cavities 23, apart from the presence of a small clearance to allow the blocks 26 to slide in the cavities 23.

(13) The blocks 26 are shaped in a manner similar to the teeth of a half-part of a zip fastener, and have a thickness of the order of centimeter, so that they project from opposite sides with respect to the plane of the curtain 20. The series of blocks 26 is in particular fixed to a flexible strip-like portion 24 of textile material, in turn connected by means of a seam or welding to a respective lateral edge of the curtain 20.

(14) FIGS. 4 to 7 of the drawings show two modifications of the curtain 20 of the present invention.

(15) According to a first modification shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, at least one strip-like gasket 25a of laminar shape is associated with each lateral edge of the curtain 20 and extends along the entire length of the respective longitudinal edge of the curtain 20 where the blocks 26 are present.

(16) Each gasket 25a, which is made of an elastic material, for example an elastomeric material or the like such as a foam of such material, is preferably fixed to the respective strip portion 24, and it is made in the form of a flat thin sheet comprising a first portion 27a for fixing to the strip 24 and a second portion 27b for resting on an outer surface of the respective guide rail 22, for example on an outer surface of one of the parallel branches of the rail 22.

(17) In order to ensure the second portion 27b to rest on the surface of the respective rail 22, it projects from the plane 20 of the curtain according to an arrangement inclined and deformed with respect to its plane shape with which it was originally formed. The deformed configuration of use of this second portion 27b, which allows it to rest on the outer surface of the rail 22, gives rise to an elastic return force of the portion 27b toward its undeformed flat condition, which keeps it adherent to the respective guide rail 22.

(18) In this manner, the portion 27b of each gasket 25a is arranged at a slot connected to the cavity 23 of the guide rail 22 and with the clearance between the blocks 26 and the cavity 23 of the corresponding guide rail 22, to prevent air from passing through this slot.

(19) Conveniently, and according to a configuration not shown, a pair of gaskets 25a are associated with each edge of the curtain 20, on both sides of the curtain 20, so that each of them closes, on opposite sides of the curtain 20, a respective slot connected to the clearance between the blocks 26 and the inner profile of the cavity of the respective guide rail 22. This makes it possible to contrast even more effectively the passage of air between the blocks 26 and the cavity 23 of the guide rails 22.

(20) According to another modification shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, for which only the differences with respect to the previous modification will be described in detail, each lateral edge of the curtain 20 has at least one strip-like gasket 25b which extends along the entire length of the respective longitudinal edge of the curtain 20, at the blocks 26.

(21) Each gasket 25b comprises a first laminar portion 27a for fixing to the strip 24, and a second portion 27c whose end opposite to the first portion 27a is considerably thicker than the first portion 27a.

(22) According to a configuration not shown in the drawings, the second portion 27c has a solid cross-section having an approximately square or rectangular cross-section.

(23) In the configuration shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the second portion 27c has a tubular shape with an inner cylindrical cavity, by virtue of which the gasket 25b can be easily deformed by pressure, which allows it to be adapted to possible irregularities of the outer surface of the rails 22, and allows a greater strength of the end of said gasket 25b opposite its first portion 27a.

(24) Also in this case, the gasket 25b is originally made in the flat form, with a material similar to that of the gasket 25a of the previous modification.

(25) The resting of the second portion 27c on an outer surface of the respective rail 22 requires its deformation with respect to the original flat shape and to the first portion 27a, which generates an elastic return force which retains the second portion 27c adhering to the respective guide rail 22, so as to prevent air from flowing into the clearance between the blocks 26 and the cavity of the guide rails 22.

(26) As for the previous modification, and according to a configuration not shown, each edge of the curtain 20 is conveniently provided with a pair of gaskets 25b each arranged on a respective side of the curtain 20, in order to contrast even more effectively the passage of air between the blocks 26 and the cavity 23 of the guide rails 22.