AU2012100487A4 - Drop door seal with barbed or deformed retaining spring - Google Patents

Abstract

There is provided a drop door seal for a door including a seal member supported within a downwardly open channel, and movable vertically between an extended position 5 and a retracted position with respect to the bottom of the door, at least one actuator positioned intermediate of said channel and support member, and a spring extending between the seal member and the actuator for moving the seal member, the spring having a barbed or deformed portion adjacent a first end for engagement with a mount attached to, or being part of, said actuator, the mount being configured to receive said 10 first end of the spring and having a stop for inhibiting disengagement of the spring from said mount. Ul

Description

Our Ref: 53021nno P/00/009 Regulation 3.2 AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 INNOVATION SPECIFICATION FOR AN INVENTION ENTITLED Invention title: Drop door seal with barbed or deformed retaining spring Name of Applicant: Raven Products Pty Ltd Address for Service A.P.T. Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys PO Box 222 Mitcham, S.A. 5062 The invention is described in the following statement: Drop door seal with barbed or deformed retaining spring FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to drop door seal and in particular to one having a biasing springs including a barbed or otherwise deformed end portion for engagement 5 with a mount. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A number of automatic drop door seals are currently available and have been described, including the seal described in the Applicant's earlier Australian Patent Application 2007237192. The automatic drop door seals typically comprise a moveable 10 drop seal member dimensioned to fit inside a channel member. The seal member includes an elongate flexible portion for engagement with the threshold of the doorway. The seal member is moveable vertically between an extended position and a retracted position with respect to the bottom of the door. The automatic drop door seals are typically biased such that the drop seal 15 member is biased away from the floor and operated by pressure on at least one actuator against the doorjamb. Accordingly, as the door is opened by a few millimetres the drop seal member is lifted clear of the floor, thereby reducing wear on the flexible portion. The automatic drop door seals therefore engage the floor when the door is closed and retract automatically when door is opened. The seal may be face mounted, semi 20 morticed or fully morticed into the door. Typically the existing drop door seals include two springs that extend between respective actuators and a drop seal member to bias the drop seal member into a retracted portion. The springs may be a flat steel leaf spring that may be fastened to respective actuators by way of a screw or an end may be bent to engage with a lateral 25 slot in the side of the actuator. The springs may be similarly attached to the movable seal member or may simply engage with a slot in a mounting block attached to, or forming part of the seal member. One of the problems with existing drop door seals is because they are made up of several components they can be difficult to assemble. Furthermore, in the case of 30 seals having a lateral slot in the side of the actuators the spring can disengage from within the slot prior to the actuator being positioned within the channel, thereby increasing the time required to install the seal. It should be appreciated that any discussion of the prior art throughout the specification is included solely for the purpose of providing a context for the present 5 invention and should in no way be considered as an admission that such prior art was widely known or formed part of the common general knowledge in the field as it existed before the priority date of the application. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In one aspect the invention could broadly be understood to reside in a drop door 10 seal for a door including a seal member supported within a downwardly open channel, and movable vertically between an extended position and a retracted position with respect to the bottom of the door, at least one actuator positioned intermediate of said channel and support member, and a spring extending between the seal member and the actuator for moving the seal member, the spring having a barbed or deformed portion 15 adjacent at least a first end for engagement with a mount attached to, or being part of, said actuator, the mount being configured to receive said first end of the spring and having a stop for inhibiting disengagement of the spring from said mount. The barbed or deformed portion may be in the form of an upwardly projecting barb or barbs, a projection or ridge, a slot or aperture extending through the spring, or 20 alternatively an opening or recess in the side of the spring that is configured to engage with the mount to inhibit disengagement. In one form the mount may include a wedge means for receiving said end of the spring, the wedge means having an internal recess at a distance from an opening of the wedge means, wherein said end of the spring is inserted through said opening into the 25 wedge means to an extent that the barbed or deformed portion of the spring engages with said internal recess to inhibit disengagement of the spring from said mount. In one form the wedge means includes a base and a cross member, the cross member being located generally above and spaced apart from the base for receiving the first end of the spring therebetween.

The base may have a generally planar upper surface, with an upwardly open recess located at a distance from a leading edge of the base, delineating a bottom of said opening of the wedge means. The cross member may include a lateral portion located above and forward of 5 said leading edge of the base, the lateral portion delineating a top of said opening of the wedge means. The cross member further including a longitudinal portion extending above at least a portion of the base. The longitudinal portion configured to bear against the upper surface of the spring to compel the barbed portion to engage with said recess. The first end of the spring is inserted between said leading edge of the base and 10 the cross member. In preference the first end of the spring frictionally engages the base and cross member. The spring is preferably a leaf spring comprising a length of flattened steel. The barbed portion includes at least one depending barb and more preferably two barbs. The barbs may be portion of the length of flattened steel that have been cut and bent 15 downwardly from a plane of the flattered steel. The barb may be sloped downwardly away from the first end of the spring. This assists in the insertion of the first end of the spring into the wedge means, but inhibits the removal once the barb is engaged within the recess. In one form a downwardly projecting barb is located on either side of the spring and configured to engage a single 20 recess in the base or respective recesses in first and second portions of the base. The distance between the base and the cross member is slightly larger than the thickness of the flattened steel spring. This permits the insertion of the spring into the wedge means against friction. The frictional engagement also assists in retaining the spring once attached. 25 The spring may be bent laterally at a distance from the barbed portion. The bend tends to increase the frictional engagement of the spring between the base and cross member, and may tend to increase the stiffness of the spring thereby improving the spring's responsiveness. The base may include two substantially identical portions each including coplanar 30 upper surfaces, and respective upwardly open recesses located at a distance from a leading edge of each portion. The two portion of the base may be spaced apart wherein the longitudinal portion of the cross member extends above the gap between the two adjacent portions of the base. To affix the spring to the mount the first end of the spring is slidably forced between the base and the cross member. Upon contact between the leading edge of 5 the base and the barb, either the wedge means is deformed or the barb is deformed to permit the passage of the barbed portion between the upper surface of the base and the cross member. The spring continues to be inserted until the barb engages with the recess to thereby inhibit removal of the spring. Any withdrawal force applied to the spring will cause the end of the barb to bear against a side of the recess thereby 10 inhibiting disengagement of the spring. The mount may form part of an actuator of the drop door seal, or it may form part of a connecting rod of the drop door seal. In an alternate form the cross member may include a downwardly open recess wherein the barbs of the spring are positioned such that they project upwardly. The 15 spring is inserted between the base and cross member such that the barbs engage with the recess of the cross member. In another form the second end of the spring includes a barbed portion for engagement with a mounting block attached to, or forming part of, the movable seal member. The mounting block may include an internal recess for engagement with the 20 barbed portion. The mounting block for engagement with second end of the spring may comprise a body with downwardly open recess wherein the mounting block is attached to an upwardly facing surface of the seal member by way of a fixing means, such as a screw, and the second end of the spring may be inserted between the seal member and the 25 mounting block such that the barbed portion engages with the recess to inhibit removal of the spring therefrom. Alternatively, the second end of the spring may be slotted into a groove in a mounting block attached to the seal member or may be affixed using a screw, nut and bolt or other fixing means. In another form the deformed portion of the spring comprises a divot or raised 30 section on at least one end of the leaf spring to engage with the mount. The divot or otherwise raised section may be positioned at a mid point between the longitudinal sides of the spring and may be formed using a mechanical punch. The punch may simply produce a raised section extending outwardly from one side of the spring or alternatively the punch may pierce the spring to form an aperture with a peripheral flange for engagement with the mount. Furthermore, the deformed portion may be a slot in the side or mid section of the spring, being either cut therefrom or moulded, that engages 5 with a correspondingly shaped mount. In another aspect of the invention there is proposed a drop door seal including at least one spring for biasing a seal member of the drop door seal, the spring having a barbed or deformed portion adjacent a first end for engagement with a mount, the mount comprising a wedge means for receiving said end of the spring, the wedge means 10 having an internal recess at a distance from an opening of the wedge means, wherein said end of the spring is inserted through said opening into the wedge means to an extent that the barbed or deformed portion of the spring engages with said internal recess to inhibit disengagement of the spring from said mount. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 15 The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate implementations of the invention and, together with the description and claims, serve to explain the advantages and principles of the invention. In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of drop door seal of the present invention, 20 illustrating the biasing spring; Figure 2 is an end view of the drop door seal of figure 1, illustrating the biasing spring extending between the actuator and a mount attached to the seal member; Figure 3 is a top view of a first embodiment of the biasing spring; 25 Figure 4 is a side view of the biasing spring of figure 3; Figure 5 is a side view of a second embodiment of the biasing spring; Figure 6 is a top view of the biasing spring of figure 3 and a first actuator of the drop door seal; Figure 7 is a top view of the assembled biasing spring and first actuator of figure 6; Figure 8 is a cross sectional view through A-A of figure 7, illustrating the barb portion engaging with the upwardly open recess; Figure 9 is a top view of a third embodiment of the biasing spring illustrating a divot; and 5 Figure 10 is a side view of the basing spring of figure 9. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED AND EXEMPLIFIED EMBODIMENTS There are numerous specific details set forth in the following description. However, from the disclosure, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that 10 modifications and/or substitutions may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. In some circumstance specific details may have been omitted or enlarged so as not to obscure the invention. Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings. Figures 1 and 2 illustrate a drop door seal 10 for attachment to a door 12, 15 including a downwardly open channel member 14 having a movable drop seal member 16 supported therein. The downwardly open channel member 14 may be face mounted on the door 12, semi-mortised or fully mortised, as illustrated in figure 2. It should however be appreciated that the means for providing an even seal drop of the present invention could be used on drop seals of different configurations without departing from 20 the spirit or scope of the invention. The seal member 16 is moveable vertically between a retracted position and an extended position with respect to the bottom of the door 12 by way of biasing members 18, 20 that operate between the channel 14 and the seal member 16. The biasing members 18, 20 include respective leaf springs 22, 24 that are mounted to first and 25 second actuators 26, 28 retained within an upper portion of the channel 14 by longitudinally extending cross members 30. An actuation button 32 being adjustably connected to actuator 26 is positioned such that it extends outwardly from within the channel 14 and clear of the side of the door 12 so that on closure of the door the actuator button 32 impels actuator 26 to slide laterally towards the centre of the drop 30 door seal 10.

The first and second actuators 26, 28 are movably coupled by way of actuator arms 34, 36 and pivotable spindle 38. Accordingly as the actuator 26 slides laterally across it urges actuator 28 to likewise slide inwardly towards the centre. The coupling of the first and second actuators 26, 28 means that on inward movement of the first 5 actuator, the second actuator moves inwardly to the same extent but in the opposite direction. The reverse or return action of the coupling may be assisted by the placement of a coiled return spring 40 between the actuator 26 and spindle housing 42. The actuator arms 34, 36 include opposing ends configured to pivotably engage the spindle 38 and respective actuator 26, 28. The spindle 38 is pivotal around an axle 10 shaft 44 that extends at right angles to the direction of sliding of the actuators 26, 28. The spindle 38 pivotably connected to the spindle housing 42 by axle shaft 44 therefore couples the sliding movement of the first and second actuators 26, 28, but in an opposite direction. The actuator arms 34, 36 connect to the spindle 38 at an equal distance from the axle shaft 44, which ensures that the degree to which the actuators 26, 28 slide is 15 substantially identical. An end of each leaf spring 22, 24 are mounted to respective actuators 26, 28 and the opposing end of each spring is coupled to a mount 46 attached to the seal member 16. The location of the mounts 46 are indicated by dotted lines in figure 1. The first and second actuators may be equidistant from a longitudinal centre of the channel 14, which 20 may coincide with a centre of action of the springs 22, 24. The reader will appreciate that the leaf springs are generally bowed downwardly and contact the seal member, to which they are fastened, either by the mounts 46 or a fastener such as a screw, or by the passing under a rod or similar capturing means on the seal member, to thereby enable positive retraction of the seal member 16 substantially within the channel 14. 25 Modular connecting rods 48 may be positioned between the actuators and the actuator arms to increase the overall length of the drop door seal 10. Figure 2 illustrates the seal member 16 in the retracted position wherein the actuator button 32 extends outwardly from the channel 14. On closure of the door 12, the actuator button 32 is pushed in by the doorjamb (not shown), which in turn pushes 30 the first actuator 26 inwardly toward the centre of action of the spring, at the same time actuator arms 34, 36 and pivotable spindle 38 transfers the inwardly sliding movement to the second actuator 28, to ensure that both actuators move toward the centre of action of the spring to the same degree. This compression on the leaf springs 24, 24 cause them to bow further downwardly, thus extending them vertically downward, to urge the seal member 16 into an extended position, as illustrated by the dotted lines in figure 2. Retraction of the leaf springs 22, 24 is the reverse of the extension, in that as pressure on the actuator button 32 is released upon opening of the door, the springs are allowed 5 to straighten out, and as such the drop seal 16 is drawn back up into the channel member 14 under the influence of the spring 22, 24. As further illustrated in figures 1 and 2 the actuator button 32 is adjustable by way of adjustment screw 50 and spring 51, as is known in the art. The seal member 16 includes a U-shaped extrusion 52, and elastomeric seals 54, which in the illustrated 10 embodiment are two parallel tubular members that act together to facilitate accommodation of uneven floor surfaces. The elastomeric seals 54 are retained within capturing channels 56 that extend longitudinally down the underside of the U-shaped extrusion 52. The drop door seal 10 may also include resiliently flexible skirts 58 that extend 15 down either side of the U-shaped extrusion 52 to inhibit the ingress of dirt or other foreign matter that could foul the drop seal mechanism. The resiliently flexible skirts 58 are retaining within respective side opening C-shaped channels 60 that extend down either side of the extrusion 52. Turning to figures 3 to 8 for a more detailed explanation of the present invention, 20 there is illustrated a biasing spring 22 demonstrating by way of examples, arrangements in which the principles of the present invention may be employed. The springs 22, 24 of the present invention extend between the actuators 26, 28 and mounting blocks 46 attached to the seal member 16 and are configured to bias the seal member 16 into a retracted position. The following description will describe the configuration of spring 22, 25 however the reader will appreciate that the description also relates to the configuration of spring 24 that is attached to actuator 28. The spring 22 includes a barbed portion 70 adjacent a first end 72 for engagement with a mount 74, comprising a wedge means 76 for receiving the first end 72. The wedge means 74, as illustrated in figure 6 to 8, includes an internal recess 78, wherein the end of the spring 22 is inserted into the 30 wedge means 74 to an extent that the barbed portion 70 engages with the internal recess 78 to inhibit disengagement of the spring from said mount, as seen in figure 8. It is envisaged that the spring 22 will be a leaf spring comprising a length of flattened steel. As illustrated in figure 3 and 4, a barb 80, 82 is located on either side of the spring 22. The barbs 80, 82 may be portion of the length of flattened steel that have been cut and bent downwardly from a plane of the flattered steel as seen in figure 4. The barb are sloped downwardly away from the first end 72 of the spring 22 and this assists in the insertion of the first end 72 of the spring 22 into the mount 74 while 5 inhibiting its removal once the barbs 80, 82 are engaged within the upwardly open recess 78. As further illustrated in figure 4 the spring 22 includes lateral bends 84, 86 that act to in increase the frictional engagement of the spring 22 within the wedge means 74 and increase the responsiveness of the spring. The second end 88 of the spring 22, as 10 illustrated in figures 3 and 4 may be squared off such that the second end 88 may be slotted into a groove in the mounting block 46 attached to the seal member 16, or the second end 88 may be affixed to the seal member 16 using a screw or nut and bolt arrangement. In another embodiment, as illustrated in figure 5, the second end 88 includes a 15 barbed portion 70 for engagement with the mounting block 46 attached to the seal member 16. The mounting block 46 includes a recess, similar to that which has been discussed, for engagement with the barbed portion 70. It should be appreciated by the reader that the spring 22 might be generally flat. The mount 74 illustrated in figures 6 to 8 comprises a part of the first actuator 26. 20 A spaced apart base 90 and cross member 92 are configured to receive the first end 72 of the spring 22 therebetween, as illustrated in figure 8. The base 90 may include two horizontally spaced apart portions 94, 96 having coplanar upper surfaces and respective upwardly open recesses 78 for engagement with respective barbs 80, 82. The upwardly open recesses 78 are located at a distance from a leading edge 98 of base 90. 25 The cross member 92 in the present embodiment includes a lateral portion 100 that extends between side 102, 104 of the actuator 26, and a longitudinal portion 106. The lateral portion 100 is located above and forward of the leading edge 98 of the base 90 and the longitudinal portion 106 extends above the base 90 over the leading edge 98 or a position adjacent the leading edge. 30 As illustrated in figure 8 the distance between the base 90 and the cross member 92 is slightly larger than the thickness of the flattened steel spring 22. The first end 72 of the spring 22 is forcibly inserted through the horizontal gap between the leading edge 98 of the base 90 and the cross member 92. The first end 72 of the spring 22 frictional engages the base 90 and cross member 92. The reader will appreciate that the mount may form part of an actuator of the drop door seal, or it may form part of a connecting rod of the drop door seal. 5 Upon contact between the leading edge 98 of the base 90 and the barbs 80, 82, either the wedge means 76 is deformed or the barbs 80, 82 are deformed to permit the passage of the barbed portion 70 that enters between the upper surface of the base 90 and the cross member 92. The spring 22 continues to be inserted until the depending barbs 80, 82 engage with the recess 78, as illustrated in figure 8, to thereby inhibit 10 removal of the spring 22. As further illustrated in figures 6 and 7 the actuator 26 may include a first chamber 110 and arcuate support surface 112 for supporting the adjustment screw 50 therein. The actuator 26 may further include sockets 114, 116 for connecting to an adjacent connecting rod 48 or actuator arm 34. 15 Figures 9 and 10 illustrate another embodiment of the deformed portions 118 of the spring 22 that comprise divots 120 extending outwardly from opposite sides of the spring 22, which are configured to engage with a correspondingly shaped mount. The divot 120 is positioned at a mid point between the longitudinal sides of the spring 22 and may be formed using a mechanical punch. 20 It should be appreciated by the reader, other configurations of the deformed portions, such as a raised section, fall within the scope of the patent. Furthermore, the mechanical punch may pierce the spring to form an aperture with a peripheral flange for engagement with the mount, the deformed portion may be a slot in the side or mid section of the spring, being either cut therefrom or moulded, that engages with the 25 mount. Various features of the invention have been particularly shown and described in connection with the exemplified embodiments of the invention, however, it must be understood that these particular arrangements merely illustrate and that the invention is not limited thereto. Accordingly the invention can include various modifications, which 30 fall within the spirit and scope of the invention. It should be further understood that for the purpose of the specification the word "comprise" or "comprising" means "including but not limited to".

Claims (10)

1. A drop door seal for a door including a seal member supported within a downwardly open channel, and movable vertically between an extended position and a retracted position with respect to the bottom of the door, at least one 5 actuator positioned intermediate of said channel and support member, and a spring extending between the seal member and the actuator for moving the seal member, the spring having a barbed or deformed portion adjacent at least a first end for engagement with a mount attached to, or being part of, said actuator, the mount being configured to receive said first end of the spring and having a stop for 10 inhibiting disengagement of the spring from said mount.

2. The drop door seal in accordance with claim 1 wherein the mount includes a wedge means for receiving said end of the spring, the wedge means having an internal recess at a distance from an opening of the wedge means, wherein said end of the spring is inserted through said opening into the wedge means to an 15 extent that the barbed or deformed portion of the spring engages with said internal recess to inhibit disengagement of the spring from said mount.

3. The drop door seal in accordance with claim 2 wherein the wedge means includes a base and a cross member, the cross member being located above and spaced apart from the base for receiving the first end of the spring therebetween, the base 20 including a generally planar upper surface, with an upwardly open recess located at a distance from a leading edge of the base, wherein the first end of the spring is inserted between the base and the cross member such that the spring frictional engages the wedge means.

4. The drop door seal in accordance with claim 3 wherein the cross member includes 25 a lateral portion located above and forward of said leading edge of the base, and a longitudinal portion extending above at least a portion of the base.

5. The drop door seal in accordance with any one of the above claims wherein the spring is a leaf spring comprising a length of flattened steel, the barbed portion of the spring having at least one depending barb. 30

6. The drop door seal in accordance with any one of claims 3 to 5 wherein the base includes first and second substantially identical spaced apart portions each including coplanar upper surfaces, and respective upwardly open recesses located at a distance from a leading edge of each portion, wherein a first barb engages a recess in the first portion of the base and a second barb engages a recess in the second portion of the base.

7. The drop door seal in accordance with claim 3 wherein the distance between the 5 base and the cross member is slightly larger than the thickness of the flattened steel spring and is bent laterally at a distance from the barbed portion.

8. The drop door seal in accordance with any one of the above claims wherein an opposing second end of the spring includes a barbed portion for engagement with a mounting block attached to the seal member, wherein the mount includes a 10 downwardly open internal recess and the barbed portion of the spring extends upwardly.

9. The drop door seal in accordance with claim 1 wherein the deformed portion comprises a divot or otherwise raised section extending outwardly from at least one side of the spring. 15

10. The drop door seal in accordance with claim 1 wherein the deformed portion comprises a slot in a side or mid section of the spring that engages with at least a portion of the mount.