Seal for a loading dock bumper

Abstract

At a loading dock for a truck, a compressible bumper seal extends across the front face of a dock bumper to help seal an air gap that may otherwise exist between the bumper face and the rear of the truck. Without the seal, the gap may be created by the truck stopping just short of reaching the bumper or by the truck “bouncing off” the bumper before stopping. If left unsealed, such a gap can create a draft into a building that has the loading dock.

1 . A bumper assembly for use at a loading dock for receiving an impact from a vehicle moving in a rearward direction, comprising: 
 a bumper installed at the loading dock and including a front face that faces away from the rearward direction, wherein the bumper is compressible to at least partially absorb the impact; and    a bumper seal extending across the front face of the bumper and being adapted to be engaged by the vehicle, wherein the bumper seal is more compressible than the bumper.    
   
   
       2 . The bumper assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the bumper seal includes a foam core.  
   
   
       3 . The bumper assembly of  claim 2 , further comprising a weather resistant cover overlaying the foam core.  
   
   
       4 . The bumper assembly of  claim 3 , further comprising a slipcover overlaying the weather resistant cover.  
   
   
       5 . The bumper assembly of  claim 4 , further comprising a protective insert disposed between the slipcover and the foam core.  
   
   
       6 . The bumper assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the protective insert is sandwiched between the slipcover and the weather resistant cover.  
   
   
       7 . The bumper assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the protective insert is a sheet of material that less pliable than the weather resistant cover.  
   
   
       8 . The bumper assembly of  claim 4 , wherein the weather resistant cover is more pliable than the slipcover.  
   
   
       9 . The bumper assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the bumper seal comprises a collapsible core that includes a flexible sheet of material.  
   
   
       10 . The bumper assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the flexible sheet of material is in the shape of a tube.  
   
   
       11 . The bumper assembly of  claim 9 , further comprising a slipcover overlaying the collapsible core.  
   
   
       12 . The bumper assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the bumper seal includes point of attachment for attaching the bumper seal at the loading dock, wherein the point of attachment is at a position that is further rearward than the front face of the bumper.  
   
   
       13 . The bumper assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the bumper seal is attached to the bumper.  
   
   
       14 . A bumper seal for sealing a gap between a front face of a bumper and a rear surface of a vehicle, wherein the bumper is installed at a loading dock and the front face is adapted to receive an impact created by the vehicle, the bumper seal comprising: 
 a rear section extending across the front face of the bumper and being adapted to engage the front face of the bumper;    a front section connected to the rear section and adapted to be engaged by the rear surface of the vehicle; and    a central section interposed between the front section and the rear section, wherein the central section is more compressible than the bumper.    
   
   
       15 . The bumper seal of  claim 14 , wherein the central section includes a foam core.  
   
   
       16 . The bumper seal of  claim 14 , further comprising a weather resistant cover overlaying at least one of the rear section, the front section, and the central section.  
   
   
       17 . The bumper seal of  claim 16 , further comprising a slipcover overlaying the weather resistant cover.  
   
   
       18 . The bumper assembly of  claim 17 , further comprising a protective insert disposed between the slipcover and the foam core.  
   
   
       19 . The bumper assembly of  claim 18 , wherein the protective insert is sandwiched between the slipcover and the weather resistant cover.  
   
   
       20 . The bumper assembly of  claim 18 , wherein the protective insert is a sheet of material that less pliable than the weather resistant cover.  
   
   
       21 . The bumper seal of  claim 17 , wherein the weather resistant cover is more pliable than the slipcover.  
   
   
       22 . The bumper seal of  claim 14 , wherein the bumper seal comprises a collapsible core that includes a flexible sheet of material.  
   
   
       23 . The bumper seal of  claim 22 , wherein the flexible sheet of material is in the shape of a tube.  
   
   
       24 . The bumper seal of  claim 22 , further comprising a slipcover overlaying the collapsible core.  
   
   
       25 . The bumper seal of  claim 14 , wherein the bumper seal includes point of attachment for attaching the bumper seal at the loading dock, wherein the loading dock has a dock face that is closer to the point of attachment than the front face of the bumper.  
   
   
       26 . A method of at least partially sealing a gap between a front face of a compressible bumper and a rear surface of a vehicle, comprising: 
 installing a bumper seal so that the bumper seal overlays the front face of the compressible bumper; and    compressing the bumper seal between the front face of the compressible bumper and the rear surface of the vehicle.    
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 26 , compressing the bumper, but to a lesser extent than that which the bumper seal is compressed.  
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 26 , further comprising attaching the bumper seal to the compressible bumper.  
   
   
       29 . A sealing assembly for use at a doorway of a loading dock for a vehicle, the sealing assembly comprising: 
 a side seal disposed along a lateral edge of the doorway;    a bumper having a front face for receiving an impact of the vehicle, wherein the bumper is spaced apart from the side seal to define a gap therebetween; and    a side-sealing member bridging the gap by engaging the bumper and the side seal.    
   
   
       30 . The sealing assembly of  claim 29 , wherein the gap is a vertical gap.  
   
   
       31 . The sealing assembly of  claim 29 , wherein the gap is a horizontal gap.  
   
   
       32 . The sealing assembly of  claim 29 , further comprising a face-sealing member extending from the side-sealing member and overlaying the front face of the bumper, wherein the face-sealing member is more compressible than the bumper.  
   
   
       33 . The sealing assembly of  claim 29 , wherein the side seal includes a draft pad near the bottom of the side seal.