Loading dock door seal

Abstract

The present invention relates to a loading dock door seal for sealing the space between a loading dock door opening and a vehicle backing up to the opening and an elongated longitudinal pad member for use in the loading dock door seal. The elongated longitudinal pad member comprises a mounting face for mounting said pad member to a surface; a sealing face for sealingly engaging the rear edge of a vehicle which backs up to and abuts against the pad member; whereby the pad member is formed of a first compressible resilient material, having a first predetermined degree of flexibility and having at least one flexing zone therein, the at least one flexing zone permitting the forced movement of the sealing face relative to the mounting face and thus the surface, to accommodate the movement of a vehicle in abutting and sealing engagement with the pad member. The loading dock door seal comprises at least a pair of the elongated longitudinal pad members arranged in a substantially laterally spaced apart relationship about the opening with the longitudinal axes being substantially vertical and substantially parallel to each other.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are as follows:  
     
         1 . An elongated longitudinal pad member for use in a loading dock door seal, said pad member comprising: 
 a mounting face for mounting said pad member to a surface,    a sealing face for sealingly engaging the rear edge of a vehicle which backs up to and abuts against said pad member;    whereby said pad member is formed of a first compressible resilient material, having a first predetermined degree of flexibility and having at least one flexing zone therein, said at least one flexing zone permitting the forced movement of said sealing face relative to said mounting face and thus said surface, to accommodate the movement of a vehicle in abutting and sealing engagement with said pad member.    
     
     
         2 . The pad member of  claim 1  further comprising an inner face and an outer face wherein said at least one flexing zone is at least one passageway extending from said inner face through said first compressible resilient material to said outer face.  
     
     
         3 . The pad member of  claim 1  further comprising a first end and a second end wherein said at least one flexing zone is at least one passageway extending from said first end through said first compressible resilient material to said second end.  
     
     
         4 . The pad member of  claim 1  further comprising an inner face and an outer face wherein said at least one flexing zone is at least one cavity extending from either said inner face or said outer face a predetermined distance into said first compressible resilient material.  
     
     
         5 . The pad member of  claim 1  further comprising an inner face, an outer face, a first end and a second end, wherein said at least one flexing zone is at least one chamber located within said first compressible resilient material between said mounting face, said sealing face, said inner face, said outer face, said first end and said second end.  
     
     
         6 . The pad member of  claim 1  wherein said at least one flexing zone comprises a second compressible resilient material having a second predetermined degree of flexibility, said second predetermined degree of flexibility being substantially greater than said first predetermined degree of flexibility.  
     
     
         7 . The pad member according to  claims 1  to  6  further comprising an outer protective covering of substantially abrasion resistant resilient material which substantially extends around at least a portion of the outer surface thereof and substantially conforms to the contour thereof to protect said pad member from damage.  
     
     
         8 . The pad member of  claim 7  wherein said covering is movably mounted to said surface allowing said covering to substantially move with said pad member when a vehicle is in abutting and sealing engagement with said pad member.  
     
     
         9 . The pad member of  claim 1  wherein said surface is a support having a front face which is adapted to be affixed to said mounting face of said pad member and a rear face which is adapted to be affixed to the outer wall of a loading dock about the opening therein.  
     
     
         10 . The pad member of  claim 9  wherein said front face of said support has a predetermined surface area which is substantially less than the surface area of said mounting face of said pad member.  
     
     
         11 . A loading dock door seal for sealing the space between a loading dock door opening and a vehicle backing up to said opening, said loading dock door seal comprising: 
 a pair of substantially vertically elongated longitudinal side wall pad members arranged in a substantially laterally spaced apart relationship, one side wall pad member of said pair of side wall pad members located substantially adjacent each of the opposite sides of said opening with the longitudinal axes being substantially parallel to each other, each side wall pad member of said pair of side wall pad members comprising: 
 a mounting face for mounting said pad member to a surface,  
 a sealing face for sealingly engaging the rear edge of a vehicle which backs up to and abuts against said side wall pad member;  
 whereby each side wall pad member of said pair of side wall pad members is formed of a first compressible resilient material having a first predetermined degree of flexibility and having at least one flexing zone therein, said at least one flexing zone permitting the forced movement of said sealing face relative to said mounting face and thus said surface, to accommodate the movement of a vehicle in abutting and sealing engagement with said side wall pad member.  
   
     
     
         12 . The loading dock door seal of  claim 11  wherein each side wall pad member of said pair of side wall pad members further comprises an inner face and an outer face and wherein said at least one flexing zone is at least one passageway extending from said inner face through said first compressible resilient material to said outer face.  
     
     
         13 . The loading dock door seal of  claim 11  wherein each side wall pad member of said pair of side wall pad members further comprises a first end and a second end and wherein said at least one flexing zone is at least one passageway extending from said first end through said first compressible resilient material to said second end.  
     
     
         14 . The loading dock door seal of  claim 11  wherein each side wall pad member of said pair of side wall pad members further comprises an inner face and an outer face and wherein said at least one flexing zone is at least one cavity extending from either said inner face or said outer face a predetermined distance into said first compressible resilient material.  
     
     
         15 . The loading dock door seal of  claim 11  wherein each side wall pad member of said pair of side wall pad members further comprises an inner face, an outer face, a first end and a second end, and wherein said at least one flexing zone is at least one chamber located within said first compressible resilient material between said mounting face, said sealing face, said inner face, said outer face, said first end and said second end.  
     
     
         16 . The loading dock door seal of  claim 11  wherein said at least one flexing zone of each side wall pad member of said pair of side wall pad members comprises a second compressible resilient material having a second predetermined degree of flexibility, said second predetermined degree of flexibility being substantially greater than said first predetermined degree of flexibility.  
     
     
         17 . The loading dock door seal according to  claims 11  to  16  wherein each side wall pad member of said pair of side wall pad members further comprises an outer protective covering of substantially abrasion resistant resilient material which substantially extends around at least a portion of the outer surface thereof and substantially conforms to the contour thereof to protect said side wall pad member from damage.  
     
     
         18 . The loading dock door seal of  claim 17  wherein said covering is movably mounted to said surface allowing said covering to substantially move with said side wall pad member when a vehicle is in abutting and sealing engagement with said side wall pad member.  
     
     
         19 . The loading dock door seal of  claim 11  wherein said surface is a support having a front face which is adapted to be affixed to said mounting face of each side wall pad member of said pair of side wall pad members and a rear face which is adapted to be affixed to the outer wall of a loading dock about the opening therein.  
     
     
         20 . The loading dock door seal of  claim 19  wherein said front face of said support has a predetermined surface area which is substantially less than the surface area of said mounting face of each side wall pad member of said pair of side wall pad members.  
     
     
         21 . The loading dock door seal of  claim 11  further comprising a substantially horizontally elongated longitudinal top wall pad member located substantially above said opening substantially spanning the distance above and/or between said pair of side wall pad members with the longitudinal axis being substantially perpendicular to that of said pair of side wall pad members, said top wall pad member comprising: 
 a mounting face for mounting said top wall pad member to a surface,  
 a sealing face for sealingly engaging the rear edge of a vehicle which backs up to and abuts against said top wall pad member;  
 whereby said top wall pad member is formed of a first compressible resilient material having a first predetermined degree of flexibility and having at least one flexing zone therein, said at least one flexing zone permitting the forced movement of said sealing face of said top wall pad member relative to said mounting face of said top wall member and thus said surface, to accommodate the movement of a vehicle in abutting and sealing engagement with said top wall pad member.  
 
     
     
         22 . The loading dock door seal of  claim 21  wherein said top wall pad member further comprises an inner face and an outer face and wherein said at least one flexing zone is at least one passageway extending from said inner face through said first compressible resilient material to said outer face.  
     
     
         23 . The loading dock door seal of  claim 21  wherein said top wall pad member further comprises a first end and a second end and wherein said at least one flexing zone is at least one passageway extending from said first end through said first compressible resilient material to said second end.  
     
     
         24 . The loading dock door seal of  claim 21  wherein said top wall pad member further comprises an inner face and an outer face and wherein said at least one flexing zone is at least one cavity extending from either said inner face or said outer face a predetermined distance into said first compressible resilient material.  
     
     
         25 . The loading dock door seal of  claim 21  wherein said top wall pad member further comprises an inner face, an outer face, a first end and a second end and wherein at least one flexing zone is at least one chamber located within said first compressible resilient material between said mounting face, said sealing face, said inner face, said outer face, said first end and said second end.  
     
     
         26 . The loading dock door seal of  claim 21  wherein said at least one flexing zone of said top wall pad member comprises a second compressible resilient material having a second predetermined degree of flexibility, said second predetermined degree of flexibility being substantially greater than said first predetermined degree of flexibility.  
     
     
         27 . The loading dock door seal of  claims 21  to  26  wherein said top wall pad member further comprises an outer protective covering of substantially abrasion resistant material which substantially extends around at least a portion of the outer surface thereof and substantially conforms to the contour thereof to protect said top wall pad member from damage.  
     
     
         28 . The loading dock door seal of  claim 27  wherein said covering is movably mounted to said surface allowing said covering to substantially move with said top wall pad member when a vehicle is in abutting and sealing engagement with said top wall pad member.  
     
     
         29 . The loading dock door seal of  claim 21  wherein said surface is a support having a front face which is adapted to be affixed to said mounting face of said top wall pad member and a rear face which is adapted to be affixed to the outer wall of a loading dock about the opening therein.  
     
     
         30 . The loading dock door seal of  claim 29  wherein said front face of said support has a predetermined surface area which is substantially less than the surface area of said mounting face of said top wall pad member.  
     
     
         31 . An elongated longitudinal pad member for use in a loading dock door seal, said pad member comprising: 
 a mounting face for mounting said pad member to a surface;    a sealing face for sealingly engaging the rear edge of a vehicle which backs up to and abuts against said pad member;    at least one coupling connecting said mounting face and said sealing face and located therebetween;    whereby said pad member is formed of a first compressible resilient material, and said at least one coupling is adapted to permit the forced movement of said sealing face relative to said mounting face and thus said surface, to thereby accommodate the movement of a vehicle in abutting and sealing engagement with said pad member.    
     
     
         32 . The pad member of  claim 31 , wherein the at least one coupling is in the form of spaced sections of said first compressible resilient material.  
     
     
         33 . The pad member of  claim 31  wherein the volume between said mounting face and said sealing face and which includes said coupling has a degree of flexibility that is substantially greater than the flexibility of said mounting face and said sealing face, to facilitate the accommodation of vehicle movement.