US RE31,328 E · Refrigeration insulation panel and structure

Abstract

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, there is provided an air-lock tunnel composed of side and top panels forming a tunnel and swing-hinge-mounted panel doors at each of opposite ends of the tunnel, all panels being refrigeration insulation flexible panels, of which the panel doors are typical in general structure, each panel door being closed-cell rubber sheet sandwiched between sandwiching Nylon sheets each surface-coated with a rubber layer and each rubber-coated Nylon sheet being flexible, having a lower half of the exposed (exterior) surfce of the sandwiching flexible sheets covered by an attached bumper or kick guard sheet of thick Nylon fabric having a polyvinylchloride composition plastic coating and having a cut-out groove spaced-from and following the curcumscribing edge thereof in which twisted Nylon thread follows and is recessed within the cut-out groove in the sewn attachment of the bumper sheet to the exposed surface of the flexible sheet, the door having the sandwiching fabric sheets extending beyond the edges of the sandwiched rubber, with the free edges of the sandwiching sheets turned-under and sewn-together as four layers thereby increasing strength thereof and forming a channel receivable of an upper-end support bar and a hinge-side support bar, the upper and side bars being upright and horizontal legs of a right-angle bar of which the upright bar extends through a spring-biased hinge mechanism for centering the door in a closed position normally, the hinge mechanism and structure being mounted on an upright bar which is a part of a u-shaped support structure mounted on a side wall above a door and serving to extend through fabric loops of the panel structures thereby supporting the panel roof and opposite sides of the tunnel.

Claims30

Dependent claims

A refrigeration insulation panel device comprising in combination:

a first set of at least two elongated flexible sheets have predetermined toughness sufficient to withstand major impacts without puncturing or tearing, each flexible sheet having opposite substantially planar side faces, said two flexible sheets being aligned and sandwiched with each flexible sheet having one of its planar side faces in opposed and parallel relationship to the other sheet's planar side face;
an insulation rubber sheet being sandwiched and anchored between the opposed planar side faces, said insulation rubber sheet being closed-cell rubber, and said flexible sheets each comprising Nylon fabric coated with synthetic rubber, and including a flexible bumper strip attached to and suspended downwardly at said lower end;
and a flexible bumper strip attached to and suspended downwardly at said lower end, the flexible bumper strip being mounted on top of an exposed exterior one of said planar side faces on each of said sandwiched flexible sheets covering substantially a lower half of said one of said planar side faces, an exposed side planar face of said flexible bumper strip having a cut-groove spaced from and following the circumscribing edge thereof, said flexible bumper strip being attached to said one of said planar faces by stitching recessed within said cut-groove adapted such that impacting objects onto said exposed side planar face of said flexible bumper strip, is protected against wear and breakage by impact from the impacting objects.

A flexible insulation-strip-panel door comprising (1) a door-jamb-type rigid support element at least partially circumscribing and forming doorway-space located adjacent the rigid support element, the rigid support element being anchored as a support structure, and (2) a free-swinging flexible and bendable panel free of rigid inflexible structure and the free-swinging flexible and bendable panel having sufficient flexibility as to have unsecured portions thereof pushed aside when subjected to a moving impacting object from either direction passing through said doorway-space, said free-swinging flexible and bendable panel being attached to and free-swinging from said rigid support element into said doorway-space, said free-swinging flexible and bendable panel consisting essentially of (a) a first set of at least two elongated flexible resilient fabric sheets having predetermined toughness sufficient to withstand major impacts without puncturing or tearing, each flexible sheet having opposite substantially planar faces, said two flexible sheets each having one of its planar faces in opposed and substantially parallel and spaced-apart relationship to the other sheet's opposing planar side face;

and (b) a flexible core consisting essentially of a flexible insulation sheet, said flexible core being sandwiched and anchored between the opposing parallel planar faces, thereby forming said free-swinging flexible and bendable panel;
and (c) fastening means flexibly securing the free-swinging flexible and bendable panel in a free-swinging manner onto said rigid support element leaving at-least one unsecured lower corner portion of the free-swinging flexible and bendable panel.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Refrigeration insulation panel and structure

Life of this patent

Refrigeration insulation panel and structure

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims30