Flexible Lip Seal for Dock Door Weatherproofing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dock shelters fail to provide effective sealing against weather elements for vehicles with protruding parts such as hinges, bumpers, and rear door retainers due to their rigid design, which does not accommodate the varying body shapes of delivery and small vans used in urban areas.
Innovation Solution
A flexible seal with a spine attachable to the wall and multiple parallel, flag-like lips that project from the spine, accommodating protruding vehicle parts by deflecting upon impact and conforming to the vehicle's shape, allowing for a tight seal around highly curved sections and protrusions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If rigid foam cushions and tarpaulins are used for sealing, then the seal structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the seal cannot accommodate protruding vehicle parts such as hinges and bumpers
Solution Approach 1:
The seal transitions from a rigid structure to a dynamic, flexible structure with movable lips that can deflect and adapt to different vehicle configurations. The flexible lips are designed to move and conform to the contours of various vehicle types, including those with protruding parts.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses flexible lips made of elastomeric material that can bend and conform to the shape of different vehicles. These thin, flexible elements replace rigid foam cushions and can adapt to highly curved body sections and protruding vehicle parts.
2Reliability
If the seal is designed to accommodate all vehicle types, then the sealing effectiveness improves, but the seal structure becomes more complex and difficult to manufacture
Solution Approach 1:
The seal design allows for variation in parameters such as the number, length, and positioning of flexible lips to accommodate different vehicle types. The same basic structure can be manufactured with adjusted parameters to suit specific applications, maintaining ease of manufacture while achieving universal adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal is divided into multiple independent flexible lips that can function independently or in combination. Each lip can be designed with specific dimensions and properties, allowing the overall system to accommodate various vehicle configurations while maintaining a relatively simple manufacturing process for each individual component.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional foam pads and tarpaulins are used, then the seal structure is simple, but the seal does not provide sufficient protection against weather elements for vehicles with irregular rear shapes
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible lips create a conformal seal that adapts to the vehicle's rear shape, providing effective protection against drafts, rain, and wind. The flexibility allows the seal to maintain contact with irregular surfaces, ensuring weather protection without requiring a complex rigid structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The dynamic nature of the flexible lips allows them to adjust to different vehicle configurations, providing consistent weather protection whether the vehicle has a flat rear, curved body sections, or protruding parts. This adaptability ensures reliable sealing performance across various vehicle types.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The flexible seal effectively bridges gaps between the vehicle and the building, preventing energy loss and protecting loads from damage by conforming to the vehicle's shape and accommodating protruding parts, ensuring a tight seal even with non-standard vehicle geometries.
Implementation Method 1
The flag-shaped projecting flexible lips deflect upon impact with a hinge, bumper, door retainer or similar vehicle protrusion due to their flexibility
Implementation Method 2
The lips expediently have a wedge-shaped cross-sectional profile and are preferably made of an elastomeric plastic
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The invention relates to a door sealer for loading openings for sealing against influences of weather between a wall surrounding the loading opening and a vehicle positioned in front of the loading opening. According to the invention, the door sealer comprises a seal (1) which is arranged on the wall, along the perimeter of the loading opening (2), and which has a plurality of flexible lips (4) arranged next to each other.