Weather shield for underneath a dock leveler with a translating lip

Abstract

A dock leveler with a vertically adjustable deck and horizontally translating lip includes a weather shield that helps shelter a pit area underneath the lip and the deck. The dock leveler and shield system is particularly suited for serving trucks that include a rear liftgate. An upper edge of the weather shield seals against and moves with the lip of the dock leveler, and a lower edge of the shield can be attached to a lower dividing panel. The lower dividing panel (sometimes known as an ISO panel) isolates the deck of the dock leveler from a liftgate-receiving receptacle within the pit area. The weather shield accommodates the lip's horizontal movement and the deck's vertical movement. The shield is such that it further accommodates a vertically moving door panel that can close in front of both the deck and the lip.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The subject disclosure generally pertains to loading docks and more specifically to a shield system for sheltering an area underneath a dock leveler.BACKGROUND OF RELATED ART[0002]A typical loading dock of a building includes an exterior doorway with an elevated platform for loading and unloading vehicles, such as trucks and trailers. To compensate for height differences between the loading dock platform and an adjacent bed of a truck or trailer, many loading docks have a dock leveler. A typical dock leveler includes a deck or ramp that is pivotally hinged along its back edge to vary the height of its front edge. An extension plate or lip extends outward from the deck's front edge to span the gap between the rear of the truck bed and the front edge of the deck.[0003]The deck and lip are usually moveable between a stored position and an operative position. When in the stored position, the deck may be either vertical or horizontal, depending on the style of...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

The area or pit underneath a dock leveler's deck, however, is usually exposed to outside air.

This can create problems, particularly when there is a significant temperature differential between the indoor and outdoor air.

The condensation can promote corrosion of various parts of the dock leveler.

Conversely, a heated building during the winter may loose a significant amount of heat by thermal conduction through the deck, as cold outside air cools the ramp from underneath.

A translating lip can limit the choices for attaching an effective shield.

A conventional lip seal terminating near the deck's front edge can fail to close off such slits.

The existence of such a door, lower dividing panel, and a liftgate-receiving receptacle thereunder, further complicates the problem of sealing the area underneath dock levelers with a translating lip.

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