Shields or seals to shelter an area underneath a dock leveler

A dock leveler for use with a vehicle parked at a loading dock, the loading dock having a pit defined by a wall extending between a ground surface of the loading dock and a platform of the loading dock, the dock leveler comprising:

• a deck extending in a forward direction from a rear edge of the deck to a front edge of the deck, the forward direction being perpendicular to a horizontal lateral direction, the deck extending over the pit and being movable between a raised position, a lowered position and a cross-traffic position, the front edge of the deck being at an elevation higher than the platform when the deck is in the raised position, the front edge being at an elevation lower than the platform when the deck is in the lowered position, and the front edge being at an intermediate elevation between the raised and lowered positions when the deck is in the cross-traffic position;
• a lip structure proximate the front edge of the deck and being translatable relative to the deck between an extended position to reach the vehicle and a retracted position away from the vehicle, the lip structure being more forward in the extended position than in the retracted position;
• a frame disposed within the pit underneath the deck, the frame including a deck-supporting surface;
• a deck-supporting foot extending from the lip structure, the deck-supporting foot to engage the deck-supporting surface when the deck is in the cross-traffic position while the lip structure is in the retracted position, the deck-supporting foot being spaced apart and higher than the deck-supporting surface when the deck is in the raised position, the deck-supporting foot being spaced apart and lower than the deck-supporting surface when the deck is in the lowered position, the deck-supporting foot being spaced apart from the deck-supporting surface when the lip structure is in the extended position;
• and
• a weather shield having a lower end and an upper end, the lower end of the weather shield to be coupled to at least one of the frame and the wall of the pit, the upper end of the weather shield being carried by the lip structure, the lower end of the weather shield being positioned forward of the deck-supporting foot when the deck is in the cross-traffic position while the lip structure is in the retracted position, the deck-supporting foot being positioned forward of the lower end of the weather shield when the lip structure is in the extended position.