Door, in particular vertical-lift door, for closing an opening in a wall which separates two different temperature zones from one another

Abstract

A door, in particular vertical-lift door, for closing an opening in a wall, in particular in a wall which separates two different temperature zones from one another, having a movable, flexible door leaf which comprises multiple separate, flexible door leaf layers which are guided such that they are spaced apart from one another in the closed state of the door, and having at least one winding shaft onto which the door leaf can be wound up in order to open the door, in which two adjacent door leaf layers are connected to one another by at least one spacer which ensures a spacing, defined by the spacer, of the two door leaf layers at least in the region of the spacer in the closed state of the door.

Claims

1. A vertical-lift door for closing an opening in a wall which separates two different temperature zones from one another, comprising: a) a movable, flexible door leaf (22) comprising multiple separate, flexible door leaf layers (28a,b,c,d) that are guided such that the flexible door leaf layers (28a,b,c,d) are spaced apart from one another in a closed state of the door (10), wherein the door leaf layers (28a,b,c,d) comprise two outer layers (28a,d) and two insulation layers (28b,c) that are arranged between the two outer layers (28a,d); and b) two winding shafts (18, 20) onto which the door leaf layers (28a,b,c,d) can be wound up in order to open the door (10), wherein: i) at least one of the two winding shafts (18, 20) is arranged in a winding shaft housing (16), ii) a first of the two insulation layers (28b) and a first of the two outer layers (28a) adjacent to the first insulation layer wind up onto a first of the two winding shafts (18) in the open state of the door, and the first insulation layer and the first outer layer laterally delimiting a first air-filled intermediate space (50b) between the first insulation layer (28b) and the first outer layer (28a) in the closed state of the door, and iii) a second of the two insulation layers (28c) and a second of the two outer layers (28d) adjacent to the second insulation layer wind up onto a second of the two winding shafts (20) in the open state of the door, and the second insulation layer and the second outer layer laterally delimiting a second air-filled intermediate space (50c) between the second insulation layer (28c) and the second outer layer (28d) in the closed state of the door, c) a mechanical drive for operating the two winding shafts (18, 20) by causing the rotation of the two winding shafts (18, 20) whereby the first insulation layer (28b) and the first outer layer (28a) adjacent to the first insulation layer (28b) wind up onto the first winding shaft (18) in the open state of the door and wind down off of the first winding shaft (18) in the closed state of the door, and whereby the second insulation layer (28c) and the second outer layer (28d) adjacent to the second insulation layer (28c) wind up onto the second winding shaft (20) in the open state of the door and wind down off of the second winding shaft (20) in the closed state of the door, the mechanical drive being of a type that generates waste heat during operation of the mechanical drive to move the door from the open state to the closed state and vice versa, and to any state in between the open state and the closed state, wherein the winding shaft housing (16) comprises heat insulating material, and wherein the mechanical drive is located in the winding shaft housing (16) in mechanical communication with at least one of the two windings shafts (18, 20), and wherein the mechanical drive comprises a motor for driving at least one of the two winding shafts (18, 20), wherein the heat insulating material of the winding shaft housing (16) and the two insulation layers (28b,c) are configured to allow a portion of the generated waste heat to pass from the winding shaft housing (16) into a third air-filled intermediate space (50a) between the two insulation layers (28b,c), whereby the portion of the waste heat provides enough heat to the door leaf (22) to keep the door leaf (22) free from ice; and wherein, along the two insulation layers (28b,c) opposite the two winding shafts (18, 20), the two insulation layers (28b,c) are connected by at least one spacer (26), and the at least one spacer ensures a spacing between the two insulation layers (28b,c) in the closed state of the door (10).

2. The door according to claim 1, wherein each of the two insulation layers has a respective width, wherein the spacer (26) extends substantially along the respective widths of the two insulation layers (28b,c).

3. The door according to claim 2, wherein the spacer (26) extends substantially parallel to lower ends of the two insulation layers (28b,c) opposite the two winding shafts (18, 20).

4. The door according to claim 2, wherein the spacer (26) is arranged between the two insulation layers (28b,c).

5. The door according to claim 2, wherein the spacer (26) comprises two elongate spacer parts (26a,b), wherein a first of the spacer parts (26a) is located on a side of the first insulation layer (28b) that faces toward the second insulation layer (28c), and a second of the spacer parts (26b) is arranged on a side of the second insulation layer (28c) that faces toward the first insulation layer (28b), and wherein the two spacer parts (26a,b) are connected to one another by way of at least one separate connecting part (49) that is fixedly or detachably connected to the two spacer parts (26a, 26b).

6. The door according to claim 5, wherein the two winding shafts (18, 20) are located parallel to each other on opposite sides of the door (10).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Further features of the present invention will emerge from the appended patent claims, from the following description of a preferred exemplary embodiment, and from the appended drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1[a] shows a door according to the invention in a schematic front view,

(3) FIG. 1[b] shows the door from FIG. 1[a] in a partially sectional side view along the section line I-I from FIG. 1[a],

(4) FIG. 1[c] shows an isolated side view of the door leaf of the door from FIG. 1[a] and FIG. 1[b] in the partially open state in which it has been wound onto two opposite winding shafts,

(5) FIG. 2 shows the isolated side view of the door leaf corresponding to FIG. 1[c], but in the closed state in which it has been substantially unwound from the winding shafts,

(6) FIG. 3[a] shows a front view of a part of the door from FIG. 1[a],

(7) FIG. 3[b] shows a cross section along the section line II-II from FIG. 3[a].

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(8) The drawings show a door 10 according to the invention, in the present case a so-called high-speed roller door in the form of a vertical-lift door.

(9) The door 10 serves for intermittently closing and opening up an opening (not illustrated) in a wall (not illustrated), for example in an outer wall of a building, preferably of a cold storage facility.

(10) Temperatures prevailing in a cold storage facility of said type lie far below freezing point. In cold storage facilities, high-speed roller doors are used inter alia in order to be able to minimize the times in which the openings which are to be closed are opened up, for example in order to allow forklift trucks to pass through the openings. This is because, when the door is open, a large amount of heat energy enters the cold storage facility owing to the generally intense temperature gradient between the interior of the cold storage facility and the external surroundings. This must be prevented. A problem in the case of such high-speed roller doors of cold storage facilities is that the individual components thereof are subject to rapid icing. Icing can result in malfunctions.

(11) In the case of the door 10 according to the invention, icing is substantially prevented.

(12) The door 10 has side parts 12, 14 which are installed in the region of the vertical edges or sides of the wall opening (not illustrated). For this purpose, the side parts 12, 14 have self-standing support or installation frameworks (not shown in detail).

(13) In the upper region of the wall opening there is arranged a winding shaft housing 16, or an upper part, which runs parallel to the upper edge of the wall opening and which, in the installed state, is (also) supported by the side parts 12, 14. In other words, the winding shaft housing 16 connects the side parts 12, 14 by lying on the top sides of the side parts 12, 14.

(14) Various assemblies of the door 10, such as in the present case two winding shafts 18, 20 which run horizontally and parallel to one another with a spacing, are arranged in the interior of the winding shaft housing 16. It also falls within the invention for only one winding shaft to be used. The individual webs of a flexible door leaf 22 are in each case wound up onto said winding shafts 18, 20 in order to open the door 10, and unwound in order to close the door. The winding shaft housing 16 is designed to be closed on all sides, but on the underside has a slot through which the door leaf 22 emerges or can emerge from the housing 16 in a downward direction.

(15) To set the winding shafts 18, 20 in suitable rotational motion, there is also arranged in the winding shaft housing 16 a gearing unit (not illustrated in any more detail) and a preferably electrically operated drive motor (not illustrated), the rotational movements of which are converted by the gearing unit into suitable rotational movements of the winding shafts. Furthermore, there is positioned in said winding shaft housing a control unit which controls inter alia the drive movements of the winding shafts 18, 20.

(16) The door leaf 22 has individual, separate webs 28a-28d. In the closed state of the door leaf 22 (cf. FIG. 2), the webs 28a-d extend over the entire free area of the door opening running between the side parts 12, 14 and the winding shaft housing 16.

(17) The webs 28a, 28b are in this case assigned to the winding shaft 18, and the webs 28c, 28d are assigned to the winding shaft 20. In other words, during the opening of the door 10, the webs 28a, 28b are wound up on the winding shaft 18 and the webs 28c, 28d are wound up on the winding shaft 20.

(18) The front side 30 of the door leaf 22 is formed by the outer web 28d, and the rear side of the door leaf 22 is formed by the outer web 28a. Here, the material of the two outer webs 28a, 28d is in each case plastic, preferably PVC. This is however not imperative.

(19) In the installed state, the door leaf 22 is oriented such that the front side 30 or the outer web 28d points into the interior of the cold storage facility (not illustrated), that is to say in the direction of the temperature zone which is colder than the external surroundings of the building.

(20) In the closed state of the door 10, the webs 28b, 28c are arranged in the intermediate space between the front side 30 and the rear side 32 or between the outer webs 28a, 28d, with a spacing to one another and with a spacing to the webs 28a and 28d. All of the webs 28a-28d accordingly run substantially parallel to one another (with a spacing). This is achieved through suitable guide means along which the individual webs 28a-28d are guided. In the simplest case, said guide means may be rollers.

(21) The webs 28b and 28c are in the form of insulation webs, that is to say they are in the present case composed of suitable flexible, heat-insulating material or each comprise such material, in particular a polymer-based, for example polyethylene-based, heat-insulating material. Here, the material in question preferably has a thermal conductivity value λ of less than 0.09 W/mK, particularly preferably less than 0.045. Said value may in particular lie between 0.030 W/mK and 0.045 W/mK.

(22) The lower edges or the lower end regions of the outer webs 28a, 28d are in each case connected to a common, lower termination part 38. Said termination part 38 is in the present case of elongate form and, in the closed state of the door 10, forms the lower termination of the door. Said termination part preferably has suitable heat insulation characteristics, in particular a U value of less than 1.8 W/m.sup.2K. In general, the termination part 38, in particular the underside thereof, lies against a floor surface which delimits the wall opening in a downward direction, or alternatively hangs slightly above the floor surface with a small spacing to the latter.

(23) The vertical, lateral edges of the door leaf 22, in particular the lateral edges 34, 36 of the outer webs 28a and 28d (to both sides of the door leaf 22), are guided in vertical guides or slots (merely indicated in the drawings) of the side parts 12 and 14.

(24) What is of particular importance is a spacer 26. Said spacer is arranged in the region of the free ends of the adjacent insulation layers 28b, 28c, specifically between the insulation layers 28b, 28c. Said spacer has the purpose of holding the two layers 28b, 28c with a fixed, defined spacing to one another, in particular after said layers have been unwound from the winding shaft 18 or from the winding shaft 20, in the closed state of the door 10. This serves inter alia to prevent the adjacent layers 28b, 28c from abutting against one another or colliding with one another during a rapid unwinding of the door leaf 22.

(25) In the present case, said spacer is arranged above the free ends of the insulation layer 28b, 28c with a spacing to the latter. Said spacer is of elongate form.

(26) The spacer 26 extends substantially parallel to the free ends of the insulation layers 28b, 28c, specifically at least approximately over the full width of the insulation layers 28b, 28c. This is however not imperative.

(27) In the present case, said spacer has an elongate first spacer part 26a, which is assigned to the insulation layer 28b, and a corresponding second spacer part 26b, which is assigned to the insulation layer 28c. In this case, the spacer parts 26a and 26b are arranged in each case on that side of the insulation layer 28b or 28c respectively which faces toward the respective other or adjacent insulation layer 28b or 28c.

(28) The spacer parts 26a and 26b are in each case fastened to the insulation layers 28b and 28c respectively. Here, in the present case, the spacer part 26a is fastened to an (in the present case U-shaped) edge or termination profile 46, which is assigned to the insulation layer 28b, and the spacer part 26b is assigned to an (in the present case likewise U-shaped) edge or termination profile 48, which is assigned correspondingly to the insulation layer 28c.

(29) In this case, the termination profiles 46, 48 are in each case assigned, and fastened, to the respective lower end of the insulation material of the insulation layer 28b or 28c respectively. Specifically, said termination profiles surround said respective lower end in each case.

(30) The termination profiles 46, 48, and ultimately also the spacer 26, also serve for increasing the weight of the insulation layers 28b, 28c. It is therefore preferable, at any rate, for the spacer parts 26a, 26b, and possibly also the termination profiles 46, 48, to be manufactured from steel.

(31) The spacer parts 26a, 26b are connected, in the present case screwed, to one another. For this purpose, use is made of transverse web parts 49 which extend between the spacer parts 26a, 26b and which connect these. Each transverse web part 49 is connected both to one and to the other spacer part 26a and 26b.

(32) As can be seen in the drawings, in the closed state of the door 10, that is to say when the door leaf 22 has been substantially fully unwound from the winding shafts 18, 20, three intermediate spaces are formed between the door leaf layers 28a-d:

(33) Firstly, a first intermediate space 50a is formed between the two insulation layers 28b, 28c. Said intermediate space 50a is open in an upward direction. Said intermediate space issues (in the upper end region) directly into the winding shaft housing 16, wherein said intermediate space widens in an upward direction in its end region (within the housing 16). In this way, this intermediate space is connected in air-conducting and heat-conducting fashion to the winding shaft housing 16.

(34) Secondly, two intermediate spaces 50b, 50c are formed between in each case one insulation layer 28b or 28c respectively, at one side, and the respectively adjacent outer layer 28a or 28d respectively, at the other side. In this case, the intermediate spaces 50b, 50c are closed in an upward and downward direction in the closed state of the door.

(35) In the present case, the intermediate spaces are closed in the upward direction because the layers of each layer pair 28a, 28b and 28c, 28d respectively which forms the intermediate spaces 50b and 50c respectively are assigned to one and the same winding shaft 18 and 20 respectively. In this way, the intermediate spaces 50a and 50b respectively each consequently narrow in an upward direction and are upwardly closed, as the layers of the respective layer pair are arranged one on top of the other, and are wound one on top of the other during the winding-up process, on the respective winding shaft 18 and 20 respectively.

(36) In the downward direction, the intermediate spaces 50b, 50c are (in the present case only in the closed state of the door) likewise closed, cf. FIG. 2, by virtue of the guidance of the individual layers 28a-d being coordinated such that the lower ends or edges 52, 54 (over their entire length) bear in particular sealingly against, or lie sealingly on, a contact surface 56 which runs at an angle, in particular perpendicularly, with respect to the door leaf plane. In the present case, the contact surface 56 is a constituent part of the termination part 38; in particular, said contact surface is part of an upwardly pointing top side of said termination part.

(37) The air situated in the intermediate spaces 50b, 50c in the closed state of the door 10 is to be regarded, in terms of insulation, as a substantially static air layer and—depending on the thickness of the respective intermediate space 50b, 50c or of the corresponding air layer—has corresponding U values. This ultimately also approximately applies to the air layer in the intermediate space 50a.

(38) Consequently, the overall U value of the door leaf 22 (in the closed state) is determined by the individual U values of the outer layers 28a, 28d, of the insulation layers 28b, c and of the air layers in the intermediate spaces 50a, 50b, 50c.

(39) As can be seen inter alia in FIG. 1[c], owing to the guidance of the layers 28a-d, the intermediate spaces 50b, 50c are no longer closed at the bottom during the opening of the door 10 or during the winding-up of the layers 28a-d. This is because the lower ends 52, 54 of the insulation layers 28b, 28c have moved away from the contact surface 56.

(40) As regards the thickness of the individual layers 28a-d and of the intermediate spaces 50a, 50b, 50c, it has been found that each insulation layer 28b, 28c should preferably have a thickness (the dimension perpendicular to the door leaf plane in the closed state of the door) of between 5 mm and 50 mm, in particular between 10 mm and 35 mm. The insulation webs 28b, 28c are preferably guided such that the corresponding thickness of the intermediate space 50a, that is to say the spacing between the insulation layers 28b, 28c, is (in the closed state) between 15 mm and 80 mm, in particular between 20 mm and 55 mm. The insulation layers 28b, 28c are preferably guided relative to the layers 28a and 28b that are in each case adjacent thereto such that the thickness of the intermediate spaces 50b, 50c is in each case between 8 mm and 25 mm, in particular between 10 mm and 22 mm. Other values may however also be used.

(41) It is particularly important then for the winding shaft housing 16 to be of thermally insulating form through the use of suitable heat-insulating material. In the present case, the outer walls of said winding shaft housing are manufactured entirely or partially from heat-insulating material, preferably from suitable industrial insulating panels.

(42) By means of the heat insulation of the winding shaft housing 16, it is achieved that heat situated within the winding shaft housing 16 does not flow through the housing walls thereof to the surroundings without being utilized, and instead can be used in targeted fashion to keep the door leaf of the door free from ice. With corresponding design of the individual heat-insulated components of the door 10, in particular of the winding shaft housing 16 and of the door leaf 22, but possibly also additionally of the side parts 12, 14, which may likewise be of heat-insulating design, it may surprisingly be the case that—depending on the amount of waste heat generated by the drive, which is situated in the winding shaft housing, for the winding shafts during the provided door operation, and depending on the magnitude of the local temperature difference, that is to say the temperature difference prevailing at the location of the door, between the two temperature zones that the door is intended to separate—the waste heat of said drive suffices to be able to keep the door leaf possibly completely free from ice during the operation of the door, without the need for an additional heater.

(43) In this case, the overall U value of the door 10 may, with corresponding design of the side parts 12, 14, of the door leaf 22 and of the winding shaft housing 16, be less than 0.8 W/m.sup.2K; in particular, said value may lie between 0.8 W/m.sup.2K and 0.4 W/m.sup.2K.

(44) It is self-evidently possible for an additional, in particular electrically operated heater to be provided. Said heater could, if appropriate with temperature-dependent control, be activated in particular automatically, for example during times in which the door is not operated enough and thus little waste heat is generated by the drive, or during times in which the abovementioned temperature difference is greater than that which has previously been calculated. Said auxiliary heater could likewise be arranged in the winding shaft housing.

(45) The heat generated by the drive and/or by the additional heater can at any rate exit the winding shaft housing 16 through the upper opening of the intermediate space 50a and pass between the insulation layers 28b, c and keep the door leaf 22 correspondingly warm.

(46) As already indicated above, it is expedient to be able to vary the respective horizontal position of one, several or each layer 28a-d of the door leaf 22 in order to be able to adjust the door leaf 22 optimally with regard to the conditions in situ. For this purpose, an adjustable guide device 57, which in the present case comprises multiple guide rollers 58, is provided, by means of which, for at least one, for several or all of the layers 28a-d, preferably for the outer layers 28a, d, the respective horizontal position of the vertical plane along which the corresponding door leaf layer 28a-d is moved during the opening or closing of the door 10 in the door opening plane can be varied.

(47) To adjust the horizontal position of the vertical movement plane of the at least one layer of the door leaf, it is preferably the case that the horizontal position of one or all of the guide rollers of the adjustable guide device is variable.

(48) A further special feature of the invention concerns the winding shafts 18, 20. According thereto, in each case the insulation layer 28b or 28c respectively assigned to the common winding shaft 18 or 20 respectively, on the one hand, and the (outer) layer 28a or 28d respectively adjacent to said insulation layer, on the other hand, are fastened to the winding shaft 18 or 20 respectively in different positions of the winding shaft as viewed in the circumferential direction of the latter. In the present exemplary embodiment, the respective layers 28a, 28b and 28c, 28d are arranged or fastened in receptacles 60a, 60b which are spaced apart from one another in the circumferential direction.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

(49) 10 Door 12 Side part 14 Side part 16 Winding shaft housing 18 Winding shaft 20 Winding shaft 22 Door leaf 24 Gearing unit 26 Spacer 26a Spacer part 26b Spacer part 28a-28d Webs 30 Front side 32 Rear side 34 Lateral edges 36 Lateral edges 38 Termination part 40 Underside 46 U-shaped edge part 48 U-shaped edge part 49 Transverse web part 50a-c Intermediate spaces 52 Lower edge 54 Lower edge 56 Contact surface 57 Guide device 58 Rollers 60a, b Receptacles