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US 8,146,985 B2Granted
Door seal systems and methods for temperature-controlled cargo containers
AssigneeFG Products, Inc.
InventorChad Nelson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Some embodiments of a cargo container door seal system can provide seal members to hinder leakage of conditioned air along the top edge and the side edges of an access door of a temperature-controlled cargo container. For example, the seal system may include mating seal members proximate to a top edge of a roll-up door of a refrigerated trailer, and may also include flexible side seal members proximate to the left and right side edges of the roll-up door.
Claims20
A door seal system for a roll-up access door in a refrigerated trailer, comprising:
- a roll-up access door movably mounted in guide tracks of a refrigerated trailer and being adjustable between an open position in which the access door is arranged in a generally horizontal elevated position and a closed position in which the access door is arranged in a generally vertical position proximate to a rear of the trailer;
- an upper seal assembly comprising a door-mounted seal member and a ceiling-mounted seal member that releasably engage one another along a generally horizontal seal interface proximate to a top edge of the access door when the access door is adjusted to the closed position;
- a first side seal assembly comprising a first generally rigid elongate bracket mounted to a first side wall of the trailer in a generally vertical orientation and a first flexible seal member slidably and removably engaged with the first generally rigid elongate bracket, wherein the first flexible seal member extends from the first generally rigid elongate bracket, over one of the guide tracks, and into contact with an interior face of the access door when the access door is in the closed position;
- and
- a second side seal assembly comprising a second generally rigid elongate bracket mounted to a second side wall of the trailer in a generally vertical orientation and a second flexible seal member slidably and removably engaged with the second generally rigid elongate bracket, wherein the second flexible seal member extends from the second generally rigid elongate bracket, over another of the guide tracks, and into contact with the interior face of the access door when the access door is in the closed position.
2 more elements
A door seal system for use in a refrigerated trailer, comprising:
- a first upper seal member having a flexible elongate body at least partially defined by a door flange portion directly mountable to an interior face of an access door at a rear of a trailer and a first upper seal flap extending transversely from the door flange portion;
- a second upper seal member having a flexible elongate body at least partially defined by a ceiling flange portion directly mountable to a ceiling of the trailer and a second upper seal flap extending transversely from the ceiling flange portion, wherein the first and second seal flaps engage one another to provide a generally horizontal seal interface proximate to a top edge of the access door when the door flange portion is mounted to the access door of the trailer and the ceiling flange portion is mounted to the ceiling of the trailer;
- a first side seal assembly comprising a first generally rigid elongate bracket mountable to a first side wall of the trailer and a first side seal member slidably and removably engaged within a first channel of the first generally rigid elongate bracket, wherein when the first generally rigid elongate bracket is mounted in a generally vertical orientation along the first side wall, the first side seal member extends over a first guide track and into contact with the access door in the trailer;
- and
- a second side seal assembly comprising a second generally rigid elongate bracket mountable to a second side wall of the trailer and a second side seal member slidably and removably engaged within a second channel of the second generally rigid elongate bracket, wherein when the second generally rigid elongate bracket is mounted in a generally vertical orientation along the second side wall, the second side seal member extends over a second guide track and into contact with the access door in the trailer.
2 more elements
A method of using a door seal system in a refrigerated trailer, comprising:
- mounting a first upper seal member to an access door in a rear portion of a trailer, the first upper seal member having a flexible elongate body at least partially defined by a door flange portion directly mounted to the access door and a first upper seal flap extending transversely from the door flange portion;
- mounting a second upper seal member to a ceiling of the trailer, the second upper seal member having a flexible elongate body at least partially defined by a ceiling flange portion mounted to the ceiling and a second upper seal flap extending transversely from the ceiling flange portion;
- mounting a first side seal assembly to a first side wall of the trailer proximate to a first guide track for the access door, the first side seal assembly comprising a first generally rigid elongate bracket mounted to the first side wall of the trailer and a first side seal member slidably and removably engaged within a first channel of the first generally rigid elongate bracket;
- mounting a second side seal assembly to a second side wall of the trailer proximate to a second guide track for the access door, the second side seal assembly comprising a second generally rigid elongate bracket mounted to the second side wall of the trailer and a second side seal member slidably and removably engaged within a second channel of the second generally rigid elongate bracket;
- adjusting the access door of the trailer to a closed position so that the first and second upper seal flaps engage one another to provide a generally horizontal seal interface proximate to a top edge of the access door, wherein the first side seal member extends over the first guide track and into contact with the interior face of the access door when the access door is adjusted to the closed position, and wherein the second side seal member extends over the second guide track and into contact with the interior face of the access door when the access door is adjusted to the closed position.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.