Roll door system

Abstract

The present invention relates to a roll door curtain, for a roll door system, and to a corresponding roll door system. The roll door curtain is adapted to be rolled up and unrolled for opening and closing a door opening. The roll door curtain comprises a curtain body. The curtain body comprises an upper end. The upper end is adapted for being attached to a winding mechanism for rolling up the roll door curtain. The curtain body comprises a lower end. The lower end is adapted for being in contact with a floor in a closed state of the roll door curtain. The roll door curtain further comprises at least one pipe. The at least one pipe comprises an inlet opening and at least one outlet opening.

Description

[0001] ROLL DOOR SYSTEM

[0002] Field of the invention

[0003] The present invention relates to a roll door system and to a roll door curtain for said system.

[0004] Background

[0005] Roll doors, also known as rolling doors or roller doors, are a type of door commonly used for industrial, commercial, and residential applications. Conventional roll doors close vertically (closing direction: up-down) or horizontally (closing direction: left-right).

[0006] Known roll doors comprise as a main component a curtain (e.g. connected slats or a flexible curtain). The slats are typically made of plastic or metal (such as steel or aluminum), wherein flexible curtains are oftentimes made of or include PVC. The slats are joined together by hinges, allowing the door to roll up and down as needed. Further a roll-up mechanism is provided, which allows the roll door to be rolled-up into a compact coil above / beneath / aside a door opening, allowing for maximum use of the available space. The roll-up mechanism is typically powered by an electric motor, which can be controlled automatically, remotely and / or manually, e.g. by a wall-mounted switch.

[0007] Further, a roll door comprises lateral tracks or guides. Those are oftentimes extruded from a plastic material or aluminum or may be made of bent and cut sheet metal. For opening / closing, the roll door is guided along those tracks / guides that keep the slats / the curtain in place as they roll up and down. These tracks and guides are typically attached to the wall opening e.g. a door frame or another building structure.Generally, roll doors have only limited insulation, compared to other types of doors. This is, as the slats / the curtain is typically chosen thin, to allow for a space-saving up-rolling. For improving insulation properties if the door is closed, double walled flexible curtains can be used. A cushion formed by the walls of the double walled flexible curtain can be pressurized, thereby providing a rigidly inflated air cushion. The inflated air cushion provides for an improved insulation which may be particularly relevant for roll doors separating areas with different ambient temperatures. For example, roll doors with inflated air cushions are known at entries into cold storage or deep-freeze facilities. These roll doors provide a transition zone between a cold storage or deep-freeze area and a normal storage or non- frozen area, for example.

[0008] However, based on the limited isolation of roll doors in such transition zones, the side of the curtain facing towards the warm or non- frozen area may be colder than the ambient temperature of the warmer area. This generally results in the formation of water droplets at this side of the curtain wall, which eventually turn into ice. Thus, independent of using a curtain with connected slats or a single or a double walled flexible curtain, the formation of moisture or ice at curtains separating cooled from non-cooled areas or generally colder from warmer areas is problematic.

[0009] For example, icing between slats may prevent an opening of the curtain or may lead to damages of the hinges between the slats over time. Similarly, icing on a wall of a flexible curtain bears the risk of damaging the rolling mechanism or a puncturing of the curtain material may occur. Hence, roll doors separating two areas with different ambient temperatures may not work properly or may be damaged over time based on the occurrence of moisture and / or icing on the curtain.

[0010] For preventing the occurrence of moisture and icing on roll doors, it is known to blow warm air using a large-scale ventilation system onto the roll doors.However, those systems consume a lot of energy, are mostly noisy and prone to failure, and generally inefficient.

[0011] Summary

[0012] It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an improved roll door system that overcomes the aforementioned drawbacks at least partially. Further, the proposed solution shall be less energy consuming.

[0013] The object is achieved by a roll door curtain for a roll door system. Said roll door curtain is adapted to be rolled up and unrolled for opening and closing a door opening. The roll door curtain comprises a curtain body. The curtain body comprises an upper end, which is adapted for being attached to a winding mechanism for rolling up the roll door curtain. The roll door curtain further comprises a lower end, which is adapted for being in contact with a floor in a closed state of the roll door curtain. The roll door curtain further comprises at least one pipe comprising an inlet opening and at least one outlet opening.

[0014] In this manner, the present invention provides a roll door curtain in which the at least one pipe enables an efficient distribution of a tempered gas.

[0015] The at least one outlet opening may be adapted to guide a flow of a tempered gas, for example tempered air, from an inside of the at least one pipe onto the curtain body. By this, a distribution or arrangement of the at least one outlet opening can be configured such that specific areas of the roll door curtain, which for example may be prone to icing, may be targeted by the flow of the tempered gas passing through the at least one outlet opening.

[0016] The at least one outlet opening may be arranged on a surface area of the at least one pipe. The at least one outlet opening may comprise one or a plurality of outlet openings. In some embodiments, the at least one pipe may comprise a rod-shaped pipe or a rectangular pipe. The at least one outlet opening may be distributed across a peripheral surface of the at least one pipe. For example, ahomogeneous distribution of the tempered gas passing through the at least one outlet opening can be provided by a homogeneous distribution of the at least one outlet opening. In some embodiments, a front end face of the at least one pipe may comprise an outlet opening of the at least one outlet opening.

[0017] The inlet opening may be adapted to guide the flow of the tempered gas from a pressurization device, in particular a blower, a pump or a compressor, into the at least one pipe.

[0018] For example, the flow of tempered gas may be guided in a supply duct from the pressurization device to the roll door curtain. An end of the supply duct may comprise a supply opening, which may correspond to or may at least partially overlap with the inlet opening of the at least one pipe. The inlet opening may be arranged on a front end face of the at least one pipe. By this, a simple arrangement of the at least one pipe and the supply opening can be provided. However, the invention may not be limited to pipes comprising only one inlet opening. Instead, two, three or more inlet openings may also be in accordance with the invention.

[0019] In some embodiments, the end of the supply duct may be in contact with the at least one pipe in a closed state of the roll door curtain. This ensures that essentially all of the tempered gas exiting the supply opening can pass through the inlet opening. The term “essentially” as used herein may be understood as including small deviations up to 10%.

[0020] In other embodiments, the end of the supply duct may be arranged at a distance from the at least one pipe. For example, the distance may be in the range of 0.5 to 10 cm. This provides that most of the flow of the tempered gas exiting the end of the supply duct is enabled to pass through the inlet opening of the at least one pipe and to be guided out of the at least one pipe through the at least one outlet opening. Arranging the inlet opening at a distance from the end of the supply duct ensures that the roll door curtain of the present embodiment stillfunctions even if the at least one pipe is slightly misaligned. Such misalignment may be introduced, for example, if the curtain body has been in contact with an object during the unrolling, or after multiple opening and closing cycles.

[0021] The tempered gas may have a temperature in the range of 10 to 50°C, preferably 15 to 40°C, and more preferably 20 to 30°C inside the at least one pipe. Tempered gas in said temperature range targeted onto the roll door curtain prevents the generation of moisture and icing at the roll door curtain.

[0022] The at least one pipe may be arranged essentially parallel to the lower end along the curtain body. In other words, the at least one pipe may be arranged essentially perpendicular to an opening and / or closing direction of the roll door curtain. By this, the at least one pipe may not be bent or twisted when being rolled up in an open state of the roll door curtain, for example, when the roll door curtain is completely rolled up.

[0023] The at least one pipe may be attached to the curtain body in a lower half, preferably a lower third, of a curtain body height. The curtain body height may be defined by a distance between the upper end and the lower end in a closed state of the roll door curtain. The lower half or lower third comprises the lower end. In this manner, the tempered gas passing through the at least one outlet opening may rise along the curtain body, thereby omitting a generation of moisture or icing on the curtain body at the location where the tempered gas reaches the curtain body and above.

[0024] The roll door curtain may comprise a bottom beam at the lower end and the at least one pipe may be attached to the bottom beam. The bottom beam is generally arranged close to the floor. Thus, the tempered gas passing through the at least one outlet opening may heat the bottom beam and then rise along the curtain body, thereby preventing generation of moisture or icing on the curtain body at bottom beam and above.Additionally or alternatively, the roll door curtain may comprise a bottom beam at the lower end and the at least one pipe may be arranged inside of the bottom beam. In addition to the advantages provided by attaching the at least one pipe to the bottom beam, the arranging inside of the bottom beam further ensures that the at least one pipe is protected by the bottom beam. For example, if a forklift truck or other vehicle moving inside the facility comprising the roll door curtain according to the present embodiment unintentionally contacts the bottom beam, a risk of detaching of the at least one pipe from the bottom beam can be reduced.

[0025] While some embodiments of the present invention may comprise a single pipe, embodiments comprising two pipes, three pipes or more are also applicable. For example, in an embodiment the roll door curtain may comprise a first pipe being attached to the bottom beam and a second pipe may be arranged inside the bottom beam. In addition or as alternative to the second pipe, a third pipe may be attached to the roll door curtain above the bottom beam, for example in a mid-area of the roll door curtain between 40-60% of the roll door curtain height.

[0026] The curtain body may comprise a first and a second curtain layer. The first and the second curtain layers may extend essentially parallel to each other and along an entire curtain body height. The curtain body may further comprise a third curtain layer, the first curtain layer, the second curtain layer and the third curtain layer may extend essentially parallel to each other and along the entire curtain body height. The term “essentially parallel” as used herein shall be understood as also including small deviations of up to 10% from a perfect parallel arrangement.

[0027] For example, each or both of the first and the second curtain layer may buckle at a plurality of locations. Alternatively, each of, two of or one of the first, the second and the third curtain layer may buckle at a plurality of locations. Such buckling may be based on a plurality of horizontal connections arranged between the first and the second curtain layer and / or the second and the thirdcurtain layer restricting a maximum separation between the two or the three respective curtain layers. Based thereon, while at locations of such horizontal connections a distance between the first and the second and / or the second and the third curtain layers may be fixed, areas around these horizontal connections or between two neighboring horizontal connections may have a larger or smaller distance (up to 10%) resulting in the buckling. Such buckling is still comprised by an essentially parallel arrangement of the first and the second or the first, the second and the third curtain layers.

[0028] The at least one pipe may be arranged between the first and the second curtain layer and / or between the second and the third curtain layer. By this, the first and the second curtain layer and / or the second and the third curtain layer may be targeted by the tempered gas. This may reduce the generation of moisture and icing on the targeted curtain layers. For example, the at least one pipe may be arranged inside the roll door curtain.

[0029] Additionally or alternatively, the at least one pipe may be attached to the first curtain layer on a side of the first curtain layer facing away from the second and / or the third curtain layer. In other words, the at least one pipe may be attached on the outside of the first curtain layer.

[0030] For example, if the roll door curtain separates two areas with different ambient temperatures, such as a deep-freeze area and a non-cooled area, the first curtain layer may correspond to the side of the roll door curtain facing the warmer or less cold temperature area. Since in warmer areas a relative humidity is higher compared to colder areas, the occurrence of moisture and icing may be mostly on the side of the roll door curtain facing the warmer or less cold temperature area. Thus, arranging the at least one pipe on this side of the curtain may be advantageous for preventing or reducing moisture generation or icing on the curtain body. Moreover, a heating of the colder area by the flow of tempered gas can be omitted.In some embodiments a first pipe of the at least one pipe may be arranged between the first and the second curtain layer and a second pipe of the at least one pipe may be attached to the first curtain layer. By utilizing multiple pipes in / at the same roll door curtain, different areas of the roll door curtain can be efficiently targeted with the flow of tempered gas.

[0031] The first curtain layer and the second curtain layer may be at least in part attached to each other at respective edge regions such that a cushion is formed between the first and the second curtain layer. The cushion may be configured to be pressurized when the roll-door curtain is at least partially unrolled to form an inflated air cushion. For example, the first and the second curtain layer may be attached to each other at the respective edge regions in an essentially airtight manner, such that a pressure above ambient pressure can be maintained inside the cushion. A roll door curtain with a pressurized cushion provides improved isolating properties compared to a single layer curtain body or a double layer curtain body without the pressurized cushion. This reduces the generation of moisture and icing on the curtain layer facing the warmer or less cold temperature area. The cushion may be pressurized (overpressure) with a pressure of at least 0.004 bars (400 Pa), or with a pressure of at least 0.007 bars (700 Pa), or with a pressure of at least 0.01 bars (1000 Pa).

[0032] In some embodiments comprising the cushion, the at least one pipe may extend through at least one of the first curtain layer, the second curtain layer or the edge region between the first and the second curtain layer. For example, the edge region may comprise a seam connecting the first and the second curtain layer. In these embodiments, the at least one pipe may extend through the edge region such that the inlet opening may be arranged outside of the cushion. Alternatively, the edge region may comprise an opening configured such that the inlet opening may be attached thereto.

[0033] The at least one pipe may comprise a plastic material. By this, the weight of the at least one pipe may be reduced compared to, for example, pure metal pipes,which may be particularly relevant for roll door curtains requiring a low opening or closing cycle time.

[0034] Additionally or alternatively, the at least one pipe may comprise a foam material. Foamed materials, like for example foamed plastic materials, further reduce the weight of the at least one pipe. Moreover, foamed materials may be flexible, which reduces the risk of damaging the curtain body by the at least one pipe when rolling up the curtain body.

[0035] The curtain body may further comprise two opposite side edges defining a width of the curtain body. The at least one pipe may have a length extending up to 100% of the width of the curtain body. In this manner, the tempered gas passing through the at least one outlet opening may be distributed across the entire width of the curtain body.

[0036] Alternatively, the at least one pipe may have a length extending up to 85%, more preferably up to 70%, and most preferably up to 50% of the width of the curtain body. The inventors found that sufficient tempered gas for reducing or preventing the generation of moisture and icing on the curtain body can be provided, even if the at least one pipe may not extend across the entire width of the curtain body. Shorter pipes reduce the weight of the curtain body, thereby enabling a fast opening or closing of the roll door curtain. Moreover, shorter pipes require less pipe material, which reduces the costs.

[0037] The curtain body may comprise a plastic foil, a non-woven and / or a fabric. Additionally or alternatively the curtain body may comprise polyvinyl chloride, PVC, or polyethylene, PE. These materials provide for an improved roll door curtain with a highly flexible curtain body.

[0038] The object is further achieved by a roll door system comprising a roll door curtain as described above and a top roll or a side roll for rolling up and unrolling the roll door curtain.The top roll or a side roll may be attached with respective brackets on a wall or ceiling. Further, the top roll or the side roll may be actuated, e.g. by an electric drive. Said electric drive may be connected via a shaft and / or a gearing with a shaft of the roll. In a further aspect, the drive may be integrated in the shaft of the roll or may form the shaft of the roll e.g. as external rotor electric motor.

[0039] Further, the roll door system may comprise a pressurization device, such as a blower, a pump or a compressor, that is connected to the at least one pipe for providing a flow of a tempered gas. In some embodiments, the pressurization device may be adapted to pressurize the interior of the cushion of the roll door curtain when the roll door curtain is closed and / or partially closed. By this, the same pressurization device can be used for providing the flow of tempered gas passing through the at least one outlet opening and for pressurizing the interior of the cushion. Preferably, the flow of tempered gas passing through the at least one outlet opening may be utilized for pressurizing the interior of the cushion. By this, the pressurizing is provided with the tempered gas. Thus, in addition to the actual flow of the tempered gas, the pressurized tempered gas further reduces the generation of moisture and icing on the roll door curtain.

[0040] By pressurizing the interior of the cushion of the roll door curtain, particularly when being closed (or partially closed), the roll door curtain provides an improved isolation compared to a non-pressurized curtain body.

[0041] Brief description of the figures

[0042] The present disclosure will be more readily appreciated by reference to the following detailed description when being considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

[0043] Fig. 1A shows a schematic front view of an embodiment of a roll door system in an open state of a roll door curtain;Fig. IB shows a schematic front view of the roll door system of Fig. 1A in a closed state of the roll door curtain;

[0044] Fig. 2 A shows a schematic view of an embodiment of a roll door system in a partly open state, wherein the curtain body is not shown;

[0045] Fig. 2B shows a schematic view of the embodiment of Fig. 2A, wherein the curtain body is shown partially transparent;

[0046] Fig. 2C shows a schematic view of the embodiment of Fig. 2A, wherein the curtain body is shown non-transparently;

[0047] Fig. 3 A shows a schematic view of an embodiment of a roll door system in a closed state, wherein the curtain body is not shown;

[0048] Fig. 3B shows a schematic view of the embodiment of Fig. 3A, wherein the curtain body is shown partially transparent;

[0049] Fig. 3C shows a schematic view of the embodiment of Fig. 3A, wherein the curtain body is shown non-transparently; and

[0050] Fig. 4 shows a schematic view of an embodiment of a connection piece.

[0051] Detailed description of the figures

[0052] Figs. 1A and IB show schematically an embodiment of a roll door system 3 in two different states according to the present invention.

[0053] The roll door system 3 comprises a roll door curtain 2, a frame 30, an actuator 40 and a pressurization device 50.

[0054] While Fig. 1A shows the roll door system 3 in an open state of the roll door curtain 2, Fig. IB shows the roll door system 3 in a closed state of the roll doorcurtain 2. In the closed state, a door opening 60 in a wall of a building, in which the roll door system 3 is mounted, is blocked by the roll door curtain 2.

[0055] The roll door curtain 2 comprises a curtain body 20, a connection piece 21, a bottom beam 24, a lip 25, and a top roll 29.

[0056] The curtain body 20 has a rectangular shape and comprises an upper edge, a lower edge and two side edges. At the lower edge of the curtain body 20, the roll door curtain 2 comprises the bottom beam 24. For example, the bottom beam 24 can be attached to the lower edge of the curtain body 20.

[0057] The lip 25 of the roll door curtain 2 is attached to the bottom beam 24 at a lower edge. The lip 25 may be of rubber and serves for sealing the roll door curtain 2 against the floor.

[0058] The top roll 29 is adapted for rolling up and unrolling the roll door curtain 2. The top roll 29 may be attached to the frame 30 or a wall with brackets (not shown) above the door opening 60.

[0059] The size ratio of the top roll 29 to the door opening 60 should be understood as exemplary only and in no way limiting. It is possible, for example, that the top roll 29 has a significantly smaller and / or larger diameter in relation to the door opening 60 than shown in the figures.

[0060] The top roll 29 is an actuated top roll, i.e. the top roll 29 is driven by an actuator 40, such as an electric drive. Said electric drive may be connected via a shaft 41 and / or a gearing with a shaft of the top roll 29. When being actuated, the top roll 29 rotates around axis A.

[0061] Depending on the direction of rotation, the roll door curtain 2 is unrolled, such that a curtain body 20 of the roll door curtain 2 closes the door opening 60 at least partially (cf. Fig. IB). In case the direction of rotation is reversed, the roll door curtain 2 is rolled up and the door opens (again), cf. Fig. 1A.The frame 30 comprises guiding means 35. The unrolling and uprolling can be guided by the guiding means 35, which may be guide rails. Guiding means 35 may be attached to or may be an integral part of frame 30 of the roll door system 3.

[0062] The pressurization device 50, such as a blower, a pump or compressor, is adapted to provide a flow of tempered gas to be guided onto curtain body 20.

[0063] Figs. 2 A to 2C depict a magnified excerpt of a lower portion of the roll door system 3 showing the roll door curtain 2 in a partially open state. While in Fig. 2A, the curtain body 20 is not illustrated, it is shown partially transparent in Fig.2B and entirely non-transparent in Fig. 2C. Other than the different levels of transparency of curtain body 20, Fig. 2A to 2C show the same magnified excerpt of the roll door system 3.

[0064] The roll door curtain 2 comprises a pipe 1, a connection piece 21, and a double layered curtain body 20 comprising a first curtain layer 26 and a second curtain layer 27. In alternative embodiments, the roll door curtain may comprise one curtain layer or more than two curtain layers, for example three, four or more curtain layers.

[0065] The curtain body 20 of the roll door curtain 2 comprises the first curtain layer 26 and the second curtain layer 27, which extend essentially parallel to each other along an entire curtain body width W. The curtain layers 26, 27 may be made of a plastic foil, a non-woven, a fabric or a combination thereof. The curtain layers 26, 27 may in particular be of PVC or PE.

[0066] The first 26 and the second curtain layer 27 are at least attached to each other in an edge region 28, for example by a seam. In the depicted embodiment, the two layers 26, 27 are attached to each other on both opposite sides of the curtain body 20. Moreover, the first 26 and second layer 27 are both attached to bottom beam 24. Based thereon, the curtain body 20 forms a cushion in its interior. Thecushion can be configured to be pressurized at least when the roll door curtain 2 is entirely unrolled (cf. Figs. 3A-3C).

[0067] In an alternative embodiment, the roll door curtain may comprise three curtain layers. At least two of the three layers may be attached to each other on both opposite sides of the curtain body, forming the cushion. The three curtain layers may be attached to a bottom beam.

[0068] Alternatively, the two curtain layers of the two layered curtain body or the three curtain layers of the three layered curtain body may at least in part or entirely not be attached to each other on one or both opposite sides of the curtain body. For example, tempered gas may exit from an interior area between two curtain layers at the sides of the curtain body, in particular at the edge regions. The three curtain layers may be attached to a bottom beam.

[0069] The pipe 1 comprises a rod-like shape having a first front-end face and a second front-end face. The first front-end face and the second front-end face are located at opposite front-ends of the pipe 1.

[0070] The pipe 1 comprises an inlet opening 10, which is arranged on the first frontend face of the pipe 1.

[0071] Moreover, the pipe 1 comprises a plurality of outlet openings 11, 12. The outlet openings 11 are arranged in a straight line distributed in a homogenous or equidistant manner on a peripheral wall of pipe 1.

[0072] It is also conceivable that the openings 11 are arranged differently on the peripheral wall, e.g. with an offset to one another, in a grid, or the like.

[0073] Additionally, a further outlet opening 12 is provided on the second frond-end face of the pipe 1.The pipe 1 is arranged parallel to the bottom beam 24 along curtain body 20 in between the first and second curtain layers 26, 27. For example, the pipe 1 is arranged inside the bottom beam 24.

[0074] In the depicted embodiment, the pipe 1 does not fully extend across the entire width W of curtain body 20. Instead, pipe 1 has a length which is shorter than the curtain body width W. For example, the pipe 1 may extend only up to 85%, 70% or even only up to 50% of the width W.

[0075] However, it is also possible that the pipe 1 extends across the entire curtain body width W. In such embodiments, the front-end outlet opening 12 may be omitted.

[0076] The pipe 1 may be made or may comprise a plastic material and / or a foam material.

[0077] The connection piece 21 , which is shown in Figs. 2A - 3C and depicted in more detail in Fig. 4, comprises a base plate 21a, a cuff 21c, a peripheral inlet opening 22 and a front-end face inlet opening 23.

[0078] The base plate 21a has a three-dimensional L-shaped form. The base plate 21a comprises a circumferential edge 21b, which is adapted to be attached to the curtain body 20. The circumferential edge 21b may be beaded.

[0079] In the embodiment depicted in Figs. 2A to 3C, the connection piece 21 is arranged between the first and second curtain layers 26, 27 in the edge region 28 of curtain body 20. By this, the connection piece 21 forms part of the edge region 28, in a lower comer of curtain body 20. In embodiments with more than two curtain layers, the connection piece 21 may be arranged between any two of the curtain layers.

[0080] The connection piece 21 may be glued to the first and second layers 26, 27 and may be additionally secured using riveted bolds along the circumferential edge 21b, for example.The cuff 21c is located outside of the cushion formed by the curtain body 20. It is attached, in particular screwed, to the longer arm of the L-shaped base plate 21a extending vertically, thereby enclosing a cavity and providing a receptacle. The receptacle has an elongated shape.

[0081] In the region of the cuff 21c, the base plate 21a comprises an opening, in particular the peripheral inlet opening 22. The peripheral inlet opening 22 provides an access to the receptacle.

[0082] A second opening within the base plate 21a, namely the front-end face inlet opening 23, is arranged on the shorter arm of the L-shaped base plate 21a extending horizontally. The front-end face inlet opening 23 and the receptacle provided by the cuff 21c are aligned to each other.

[0083] In the illustrated embodiment of Fig. 2A, next to the peripheral inlet opening 22 of connection piece 21 the pipe 1 is arranged. By this, the inlet opening 10 of pipe 1 is aligned with and attached to the peripheral inlet opening 22 of connection piece 21.

[0084] Alternatively, the pipe 1 and particularly the inlet opening 10 may not be attached to the peripheral inlet opening 22 but may be arranged in a distance of 0,5 cm to 10 cm.

[0085] The frame 30 of roll door system 3 comprises a supply duct 31 (also referred to as duct 31). The duct 31 is attached to frame 30 to ensure the correct positioning and orientation of duct 31.

[0086] At one end of duct 31 a connection piece 34 is attached. The connection piece 34 has an elongated shape extending vertically, which corresponds to the opening / closing direction D of roll door curtain 2.Connection piece 34 is hollow and comprises a peripheral wall comprising a peripheral supply opening 32. Moreover, connection piece 34 comprises a front-end face. The front-end face comprises a further supply opening 33.

[0087] In the depicted embodiment, the connection piece 34 comprises a shape that is adapted to be arranged inside the receptacle provided by connection piece 21 of roll door curtain 2.

[0088] For example, the shape of connection piece 34 is such that it engages with connection piece 21 in an exact fit in a closed state of the roll door curtain 2, which is depicted in Fig. 3 A. In the closed state, the cuff 21c of connection piece 21 encloses a portion of connection piece 34. By this, the roll door curtain 2 is guided into the intended position based on the elongated shape of connection piece 34 engaging with the cuff 21c during a closing motion of the roll door curtain 2.

[0089] In the intended position of the closed state of roll door curtain 2, the openings of connection piece 34 and the openings of connection piece 21 overlap at least partially or may even be aligned with each other.

[0090] For example, as in the shown embodiment, in the closed state, the peripheral inlet opening 22 of connection piece 21 overlaps with peripheral supply opening 32 of the connection piece 34 of duct 31.

[0091] The front-end face inlet opening 23 of connection piece 21 overlaps with frontend face supply opening 33 of connection piece 34. For example, the connection piece 34 extends through the front-end face inlet opening 23 of connection piece 21 in an exact fit. For that, connection piece 34 comprises a tapered ending, for example a conical ending, to ensure successful insertion even for small misalignments between both connection pieces 21, 34.Having the connection piece 34 on one end, the duct 31 is further connected to the pressurization device 50. The pressurization device is adapted to provide a flow of tempered gas.

[0092] Thus, any flow of tempered gas provided by the pressurization device 50 flows inside of duct 31, into connection piece 34 and leaves the connection piece 34 through both of the peripheral supply opening 32 and the front-end face supply opening 33.

[0093] Because of the overlapping or aligned arrangement of the openings 32, 33 of connection piece 34 and the openings 22, 23 of connection piece 21 in the closed state of roll door curtain 2, the flow of tempered gas leaving the connection piece 34 passes through the inlet openings 22 and 23 into the cushion formed by the curtain body 20.

[0094] Thus, a first portion of the flow of tempered gas, in particular the portion passing through the front-end face inlet opening 23, enters the cushion or area formed by the first and second curtain layer 26, 27, directly, in particular without being guided through a pipe. The first portion of the tempered gas enters the cushion in a vertical direction. The first flow can be used for pressurizing the cushion when the roll-door curtain 2 is in a closed state.

[0095] Alternatively, a second pipe may be attached to or arranged next to the frontend face inlet opening 23 to further guide the first portion of the flow of tempered gas to a target area of the roll door curtain 2.

[0096] Moreover, a second portion of the flow of tempered gas, in particular the portion passing through the peripheral inlet opening 22, enters pipe 1 by leaving the connection piece 21 in a horizontal direction. The second portion of the tempered gas is further guided along the interior of pipe 1, until it reaches one of the outlet openings 11, 12. At the outlet openings 11, 12 this flow of thetempered gas leaves pipe 1 and is directed onto the first 26 and second curtain layer 27.

[0097] In addition to being directed onto the first and second curtain layers 26, 27, the flow of tempered gas passing through the plurality of outlet openings 11, 12 of pipe 1 can, thus, also be used for pressurizing the cushion when the roll-door curtain 2 is in a closed state. However, in other embodiments one or more pipes may also be attached at the outside of a double layered curtain body or a single layered curtain body (not shown) and / or at the outside of bottom beam 24. For example, a second pipe may be arranged parallel to the bottom beam but at a range in between 30% - 50% of the curtain body height H in a closed state of the roll door curtain 2.

[0098] Thus, the flow of tempered gas leaves the connection piece 34 divided into two portions, which each extend in a different, and particularly perpendicular to each other, flow direction. In this manner, the embodiment of the present invention provides for an improved distribution of tempered gas targetable at selected areas of the roll door curtain 2, which, for example, may be prone to moisture or icing generation. This targeted distribution reduces the volume of tempered gas required compared to known solutions, thereby reducing noise exposure, energy costs and improving efficiency.

[0099] While Figs. 2A to 2C depict an embodiment of the roll door system 3 in a partially open state, i.e. a state in which the inlet openings 22, 23 do not overlap or are not arranged next to the supply openings 32, 33, Figs. 3A to 3C depict the same embodiment of the roll door system in the closed state, i.e. a state in which the inlet openings 22, 23 do overlap or are arranged next to the supply openings 32, 33. Similar to Fig. 2A, in Fig. 3A, the curtain body is not depicted. Further, the curtain body 20 is shown in Fig. 3B in a transparent manner and fully non-transparent in Fig. 3C. Other than the different levels of transparency of curtain body 20, Fig. 3A to 3C show the same roll door system 3 in a closed state.While the embodiments of the present invention depicted in here show two overlapping pairs of openings, the present invention is not to be understood as limited thereto. Instead, less openings, for example one pair, or more openings, for example three, four or more pairs, of overlapping openings are also in accordance with the present invention. Moreover, the number of supply openings may be different from a number of inlet openings. For example, one elongated supply opening may overlap with two inlet openings or vice versa. Furthermore, the number of curtain layers is not limited to one or two curtain layers. Instead, three, four or more curtain layers are also in accordance with the present invention.

[0100] The present invention may, of course, be carried out in other ways than those specifically set forth herein without departing from essential characteristics of the invention. The present embodiments are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.

[0101] List of reference signs

[0102] 1 pipe

[0103] 2 roll door curtain

[0104] 3 roll door system

[0105] 10 inlet opening of pipe

[0106] 11 peripheral outlet openings of pipe

[0107] 12 front-end face outlet opening

[0108] 20 curtain body

[0109] 21 connection piece (curtain)

[0110] 21a baseplate

[0111] 21b circumferential edge

[0112] 21c cuff22 peripheral inlet opening of connection piece

[0113] 23 front-end face inlet opening of connection piece

[0114] 24 bottom beam

[0115] 25 lip

[0116] 26 first curtain layer

[0117] 27 second curtain layer

[0118] 28 edge region

[0119] 29 top roll

[0120] 30 frame

[0121] 31 (supply) duct

[0122] 32 peripheral supply opening of duct connection piece 33 front-end face supply opening of duct connection piece 34 connection piece (duct)

[0123] 35 guiding means

[0124] 40 actuator

[0125] 41 shaft

[0126] 50 pressurization device

[0127] 60 door opening

[0128] A axis of rotation

[0129] D opening / closing direction of roll door curtain

[0130] W curtain body width

[0131] H curtain body height

Claims

Claims1. A roll door curtain (2), for a roll door system (3), the roll door curtain (2) being adapted to be rolled up and unrolled for opening and closing a door opening (60), the roll door curtain (2) comprising:a curtain body (20), the curtain body (20) comprising an upper end, adapted for being attached to a winding mechanism (40, 41) for rolling up the roll door curtain (2);the curtain body (20) comprising a lower end, adapted for being in contact with a floor in a closed state of the roll door curtain (2);the roll door curtain (2) further comprising at least one pipe (1) comprising an inlet opening (10) and at least one outlet opening (11, 12),wherein the curtain body (20) comprises a first curtain layer (26) and a second curtain layer (27), the first curtain layer (26) and the second curtain layers (27) extending essentially parallel to each other and along the entire curtain body height (H); andwherein the at least one pipe (1) is arranged between the first curtain layer (26) and the second curtain layer (27).

2. The roll door curtain (2), according to claim 1, wherein the at least one outlet opening (11, 12) is adapted to guide a flow of a tempered gas from an inside of the at least one pipe (1) onto the curtain body (20), in particular wherein the at least one outlet opening (11, 12) is arranged on a surface area of the at least one pipe (1).

3. The roll door curtain (2), according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the inlet opening (10) is adapted to guide the flow of the tempered gas from a pressurization device (50) into the at least one pipe (1), in particular wherein the inlet opening (10) is arranged on a front end face of the at least one pipe (1).

4. The roll door curtain (2), according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the at least one pipe (1) is arranged essentially parallel to the lower end along the curtain body (20).

5. The roll door curtain (2), according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the at least one pipe (1) is attached to the curtain body (20) in a lower half, preferably a lower third, of a curtain body height (H), the curtain body height (H) being defined by a distance between the upper end and the lower end in a closed state of the roll door curtain (2), the lower half or lower third comprising the lower end.

6. The roll door curtain (2), according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the roll door curtain (2) comprises a bottom beam (24) at the lower end and the at least one pipe (1) is attached to or arranged inside of the bottom beam (24).

7. The roll door curtain (2), according to any one of claims 1 to 6,wherein the curtain body (20) comprises a first curtain layer (26) and a second curtain layer (27), the first curtain layer (26) and the second curtain layer (27) extending essentially parallel to each other and along the entire height of the curtain body (H), and wherein the at least one pipe (1) is attached to the first curtain layer (26) on a side of the first curtain layer facing away from the second curtain layer (27).

8. The roll door curtain (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 7,wherein the curtain body (20) further comprises a third curtain layer, the first curtain layer (26), the second curtain layer (27) and the third curtain layer extending essentially parallel to each other and along the entire curtain body height (H); andwherein the at least one pipe (1) is arranged between the first curtain layer (26) and the second curtain layer (27); and / orwherein at least one pipe (1) is arranged between the second curtain layer (27) and the third curtain layer.

9. The roll door curtain (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 8,wherein the curtain body (20) comprises a first curtain layer (26), a second curtain layer (27) and a third curtain layer, the first curtain layer (26), the second curtain layer (27) and the third curtain layer extending essentially parallel to each other and along the entire curtain body height (H); andwherein the at least one pipe (1) is attached to the first curtain layer (26) on a side of the first curtain layer (26) facing away from the second curtain layer (27) and the third curtain layer; and / orwherein at least one pipe (1) is attached to the third curtain layer on a side of the third curtain layer facing away from the first curtain layer (26) and the second curtain layer (27).

10. The roll door curtain (2), according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the first curtain layer (26) and the second curtain layer (27) are at least in part attached to each other at a respective edge region (28) such that a cushion is formed between the first curtain layer (26) and the second curtain layer (27), the cushion being configured to be pressurized when the roll-door curtain (2) is at least partially unrolled to form an inflated air cushion.

11. The roll door curtain (2), according to claim 10, wherein the at least one pipe (1) extends through at least one of the first curtain layer (26), the second curtain layer (27) or the edge region (28) between the first curtain layer (26) and the second curtain layer (27).

12. The roll door curtain (2), according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the at least one pipe (1) comprises a plastic material and / or foam material.

13. The roll door curtain (2), according to any one of claims 1 to 12,wherein the curtain body (20) further comprises two opposite side edges defining a width (W) of the curtain body (20), andwherein the at least one pipe (1) has a length extending up to 100%, preferably up to 85%, more preferably up to 70%, and most preferably up to 50% of the width (W) of the curtain body (20).

14. The roll door curtain (2), according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the curtain body (20) comprises a plastic foil, a non-woven and / or a fabric, and / or wherein the curtain body comprises PVC or PE.

15. A roll door system (3) comprisinga roll door curtain (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 14, anda top or side roll (29) for rolling up and unrolling the roll door curtain (2).

16. The roll door system (3), according to claim 15, further comprising a pressurization device (50), in particular a blower, the pressurization device (50) being connected to the at least one pipe (1) for providing a flow of a tempered gas, in particularwherein the pressurization device (50) is further adapted to pressurize the interior of the cushion of the roll door curtain (2) when the roll door curtain (2) is closed and / or partially closed.

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