GB2503239A

GB2503239A - Double layered flexible door

Info

Publication number: GB2503239A
Application number: GB201210875A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Brian Edward Hyde Seymour
Original assignee: SEYMOUR Manufacturing INTERNAT Ltd
Current assignee: SEYMOUR Manufacturing INTERNAT Ltd
Priority date: 2012-06-20
Filing date: 2012-06-20
Publication date: 2013-12-25
Also published as: GB201210875D0

Abstract

A flexible door comprises two sheets 1 2 of flexible plastic, preferably transparent plastic, which are held in overlying register and spaced apart to provide an air gap therebetween. The sheets are mounted at an upper part to a hinged bracket 3 and the two sheets are releasable attached to each other at a lower part such that the sheets may be pulled manually away from one another for cleaning. The attachment is preferably via magnets but hook and loop or stud fasteners may be used. A buffer plate 9 10 is preferably mounted to the flexible door on the outside of each sheet at the lower part thereof and the buffer plates are coupled through the sheets to opposed spacer plates 11 12. The hinge is preferably mounted at an angle to the vertical such that the door is urged into a closed position by gravity. Preferably the flexible plastic is polyurethane or PVC.

Description

Flexible Door The invention relates to flexible doors and in particular to flexible swing doors such as often used in retail and warehouse premises and known as crash, impact of flap doors.

These doors are often barged through by a person pushing a trolley. Typically, such doors are made from polyurethane, PVC and other plastic materials with at least a part of the door being transparent so the user can see through it. In certain environments, the door may require good thermal insulating properties. Swing doors are usually arranged in pairs with each door being supported on two vertical hinges; in some cases, however, only a single vertical hinge is provided towards the top of the door. Spring means are used to return the doors to the closed position.

The invention provides a new type of flexible door which provides thermal insulation and good visibility in a lightweight but durable door.

The invention provides a flexible door comprising two sheets of flexible plastic material held in overlying register and spaced apart to provide an air gap therebetween, wherein the sheets are mounted at an upper part thereof to a hinged bracket for suspension thereon and are held together by releasable attachment means, at least at one lower part thereof, such that the sheets may be manuafly pulled away from one another.

The releasable attachment means holds the two sheets together but spaced apart with an air gap between them so that a double-glazing thermal insulation effect is achieved.

The r&easable attachment means allows the sheets to be manually pulled apart over at least a major portion of the sheets so that cleaning between the sheets is facilitated.

Embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a door; Figure 2 is front view of a door; Figure 3a is a sectional view taken on the line A-A of Figure 2; Figure 3b is a sectional view taken on the line B-B on Figure 2; and

I

Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the components of the door.

As shown in the drawings, the door comprises two rectangular sheets 1, 2 of flexible transparent plastic material which are held in overlying register and spaced apart to provide an air gap therebetween. This construction provides a double glazing effect which provides good thermal insulation but, since the air gap is open, it is necessary to facilitate cleaning between the sheets in certain environments such as food handling or medical environments.

The sheets 1, 2 are mounted at an upper part thereof to a hinged support bracket 3 for suspension thereon via support plates 4, 5 on the outside of each sheet. The support plates are coupled together through the sheets 1, 2 and through spacer plates 6, 7 located between each sheet 1, 2 and the support bracket 3. A wall bracket 8 is provided for attachment to a vertical surface and the hinged bracket is pivotally mounted to the wall bracket in use and the hinged bracket is pivotally mounted to the wall bracket about a hinge axis which is inclined to the vertical in use by an angle ci of about 5°. The inclination of this axis causes the door to be urged by gravity to return to the closed position as shown.

The sheets 1, 2 are held together, at least at one lower part thereof, by releasable attachment means such that the sheets may be manually pulled away from one another for cleaning. As shown in the drawings, a buffer plate 9. 10 is mounted on each sheet at a lower part thereof, and these are coupled through the sheets to opposed spacer plates 11, 1 2.

As shown, the releaseable attachment means compnses three magnets 13 which are mounted on one of the spacer plate 12 to attract the other spacer plate 11 and hold the two sheets 1, 2 together.

Three magnets are shown in the drawing but this could be replaced by one or two magnets or by an elongate magnet or magnets. The magnets may be more or less recessed into one of the spacer plates.

In other embodiments, other releasable attachment means such as hook and loop fasteners (VELCRO RTM) or stud fasteners Kpoppers) may be used. Other releasable attachment means which enable the sheets to be manually pulled apart for cleaning, without the need for tools to be employed. may be suitable.

In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the sheets 1, 2 are held firmly together at the upper part where they are fixedly coupled to the hinged plate and can only be pulled away from one another for cleaning at the lower part thereof. in another embodiment (not shown), the first sheet 1 is mounted to the hinged bracket 3 by means of a support plate 4 on the outside of the sheet which is coupled through the sheet to the hinged bracket as before. The second sheet. however, is mounted to the hinged bracket by releasable attachment means such as magnetic means or other fasteners as discussed above so that the sheets can be pulled fully apart for cleaning.

It is preferred that the sheets 1, 2 will be transparent throughout to give good visibility. One suitable material is 5mm thick PVC or polyethylene sheeting. Other arrangements may be provided but at least a part of each sheet should preferably be transparent.

The buffer plates and spacer plates may be made of any suitable materials such as metal or plastics but magnetic materials will be required if attraction to magnets is required for operation of the releasable attachment means.

As shown, buffer plates have been provided at only a single lower part of the door but buffer plates mounted at two positions below the hinged bracket could be provided.

As best shown in Figure 4, the upper part of each sheet 1, 2 is formed with a cut-out 14 to accommodate the hinge and bracket 8. A filler plate 15 is provided to minimize airflow through the opening formed by the cut-outs.

Claims

Claims 1. A flexible door comprising two sheets of flexible plastic material held in overlying register and spaced apart to provide an air gap therebetween, wherein the sheets are mounted at an upper part thereof to a hinged bracket for suspension thereon and are held together by releasable attachment means, at least at one lower part thereof, such that the sheets may be manually pulled away from one another.
2. A flexible door as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the releasable attachment means comprises magnetic means.
3. A flexible door as claimed in Claim I, wherein a buffer plate is mounted to the flexible door on the outside of each sheet at the lower part thereof; wherein the buffer plates are coupled through the sheets to opposed spacer plates; and wherein at least one magnet is mounted on one of the spacer plates to attract the other spacer plate and hold the two sheets together.
4. A flexible door as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the sheets are mounted to the hinged bracket by means of support plates on the outside of each sheet; the support plates being coupled to each other through the sheets and to the hinged bracket ocated between the sheets.
5. A flexible door as claimed in Claim 4, wherein a spacer plate is located between the support bracket and each sheet.
6. A flexible door as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the first sheet is mounted to the hinged bracket by means of a support plate on the outside of the sheet, the support plate being coupled through the first sheet to the hinged bracket; and wherein the second sheet is mounted to the hinged bracket by releasable attachment means.
7. A flexible door as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the hinged bracket comprises a pair of overlying bracket plates adapted to be mounted for independent movement about the same pivot axis; wherein each of the sheets is mounted to the outside of a respective one of the bracket plates; and wherein the bracket plates are held together by releasable attachment means such that they can be manually pulled apart.
8. A flexible door as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising a wall bracket for attachment to a vertical surface in use and wherein the hinged bracket is pivotally mounted to the wall bracket about an axis which is inclined to the vertical in use such that the door is urged by gravity to return to the closed position.
9. A flexible door as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein at least a pail of each sheet is transparent.
10. A flexible door as claimed in Claim 9. wherein substantially the whole of each is transparent.
11. A flexible door as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the sheets are made of transparent PVC or polyethylene.
12. A flexible door as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 11, wherein buffer plates are mounted at two positions below the hinged bracket.
13. A flexible door substantially as descnbed herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.