(19)
(11) EP 1 403 601 A1

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(43) Date of publication:
31.03.2004 Bulletin 2004/14

(21) Application number: 02021181.9

(22) Date of filing: 24.09.2002
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC)7F25D 23/02, F25D 21/04
(84) Designated Contracting States:
AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE SK TR
Designated Extension States:
AL LT LV MK RO SI

(71) Applicant: MEGADOOR AB
931 76 Skelleftea (SE)

(72) Inventor:
  • Ollo, Lucien, c/o Crawford-Hafa S.A.S.
    91002 Evry Cedex (FR)

(74) Representative: Onn, Thorsten et al
Zacco Sweden AB P.O. Box 23101
104 35 Stockholm
104 35 Stockholm (SE)

   


(54) Door device


(57) The invention concerns a method and a means of executing the method on a door arrangement for dehumidifying cavities, of which at least one (4) is arranged in a door leaf (2) of a door (1 ). One end of the cavity (4) is connected to an opening (12) for leading a gaseous medium into the cavity, the other end of the cavity (4) is connected to an opening (13) for leading a gaseous medium out of the cavity (4) and a flow of the gaseous medium is forced through the cavity (4) via the said openings (12, 13).




Description


[0001] The present invention concerns a door arrangement according to the preamble to claim 1.

[0002] In large warehouses such as cold-storage rooms for deep-frozen goods or wood-drying kilns, forklift trucks are normally used for transporting goods and material in and out. In order to maintain the desired temperature inside the building irrespective of the outside temperature, a rapid opening/closing door is often used. Furthermore, a door for night access is often arranged outside the rapid opening/closing door. The night access door is used as a more permanent closing device when traffic in and out of the premises ceases, for example at night. Since the difference in temperature between the warm side and the cold side of the rapid opening/closing door can be considerable, typically +4° on the warm side and -27° on the cold side, problems can arise from condensation and ice on the door leaves and the edges of the door leaves. Ice can impair the operation of the door or obstruct it completely. To alleviate these problems, heating cables are often arranged on the side rails in which the door leaves run. These cables heat the side rails and prevent the formation of ice on the edges of the door leaves from accumulating and disrupting the movement of the door. The cables can also be connected to the drive unit to prevent the formation of ice on the motor and drive components such as lifting chains, belts and the like. The problem with the formation of ice on the door leaves still remains, however, which can hinder the folding of the sections incorporated in the door leaves, especially when using vertically moving folding type doors with leaves of flexible sheet.

[0003] One object of the present invention is to alleviate or completely remedy the problem of ice formation while keeping the component parts of the door free from moisture by providing a means of exchanging moist air with dry air inside the door as well as in its immediate vicinity.

[0004] This object is achieved by arranging to the door an assembly for generating an airflow and a suitable pipe arrangement for leading the airflow to and from the parts of the door and in the vicinity of the door that are exposed to damp air, dehumidifying the air and thereby preventing the formation of said ice.

[0005] The present invention is described more fully in the following with reference to the attached drawings, which illustrate examples of selected embodiments, where

fig. 1 shows a door arrangement according to the invention with a dehumidifier.

fig. 2 shows a detailed enlargement from the side of a cavity and pipe arrangement with associated restriction valve.



[0006] The vertically moving folding type door 1 shown in the figure, for e.g. a cold-storage room not shown, comprises a door leaf 2 of the type that is made up of surface elements such as textile, sheet or outer panels, and which exhibits an inner space principally enclosed by the surface elements arranged at a distance from each other. This distance is formed by horizontal reinforcements 3 that are arranged at relative distances and which contain several compartments, hereinafter called air gaps 4. On the outside of the door 1, that is to say the side facing outward from the room closed off by the folding type door 2, is arranged an insulated so-called night access door (not shown). The latter door is used when traffic in and out of the room ceases, for example at night. At the bottom of the folding type door 1 door leaf 2 is arranged a bottom part in the form of a steel beam 5 with rubber seal that rests on the floor 6 of the premises when the door 1 is closed.

[0007] The sides 7 of the door leaves, the bottom section 5 and the horizontal reinforcements 3 run in side rails 8 arranged in the direction of travel of the door 1, essentially vertical in this embodiment. At the top of the side rails 8 rests a machinery box 9, which contains a means of operating the door 1. These means comprise a gear motor 10 with fan 11 and a belt drum (not shown) on which belts (not shown) are arranged to be wound up. The belts are joined at one end to the bottom section 5 and at the other end to the said belt drum that is mounted to the output shaft of the gear motor, extend along the side rails 8 and when the motor is activated are wound up on the belt drum. During the upward travel of the bottom section, the horizontal reinforcements are stacked on top of the bottom profile. As the bottom section 5 moves upwards, the door leaves 2 gradually arch outwards between the reinforcements 3. This procedure continues until the door 1 is fully open and all the horizontal reinforcements 3 are stacked on top of each other on the bottom section 5.

[0008] For the dehumidification of the door 1 is arranged in conjunction with the side sections 7 of the door 1, in this embodiment with the said side rails 8, a number of inlets and outlets in the form of nozzles 12, 12', 13, 13' level with the enclosed air gaps 4 when the door 1 is in its closed and lowered position. These nozzles 12, 12', 13, 13' are intended to supply a forced airflow generated by an assembly 14 to and from the said air gaps 4. Furthermore, in accordance with this embodiment, some of the airflow is distributed in separate flow paths to the inlet and outlet nozzles 15, 15' in conjunction with the machinery box, a nozzle 16 at the door motor fan and a nozzle 17 opening into the space between the night access door and the folding type door 1 for dehumidifying these areas. The airflow is through lines 18, 19, suitably in the form of piping of suitable dimension arranged between the assembly 14 and the said nozzles.

[0009] This pipe arrangement is divided into a delivery side 18 and a return side 19. The delivery side 18 is the side where dry air, hereinafter called fresh air, generated by the assembly 14 is led to the nozzles 12 on one of the side rails 8, the inlet nozzle 15 in the machinery box 9, a nozzle 16 on the motor unit fan 11 and the space 17 between the two doors. The delivery side 18 pipe arrangement runs from the assembly 14 upwards along the entire height of the door 1 and starts to release air from the machinery box 9 nozzle 15, the door motor fan 16, the space 17 between the folding type door and the night access door and finally the side rail nozzles 12. This causes the lighter, dry, fresh air to force the heavier, moist air, hereinafter called damp air, ahead of it to the outlet nozzles 13, 15', whereby the damp air is completely exchanged with fresh air when the damp air is expelled through the return line 19. In conjunction with the inlet nozzles 12, 15, 16, 17, before the fresh air is released into the various components, is arranged restriction valves 20 for regulating the amount of air that can be released through each nozzle. It can be necessary to regulate the amount of released air, for example on wide doors where the distance between the side rails is great.

[0010] The return side comprises nozzles 13, 15' arranged on the opposite side of the side rail 8 and the motor box 9. Damp air is forced into these nozzles and through a pipe arrangement 19 corresponding to that of the delivery side 18 back to the assembly 14 where the air is dehumidified.

[0011] The assembly is of the type that with a fan supplies a predetermined flow of fresh air. Fresh air is led via the pipe arrangement to the delivery side 18 of the pipe arrangement and passes out through the inlet nozzles 12, 15, 16, 17 arranged on the various parts of the door. Meanwhile on the corresponding return side 19, damp air is drawn out through the corresponding outlet nozzles 13, 15' arranged on the various parts of the door and continues via the pipe arrangement 19 on the return side to the assembly 14. When damp air arrives at the assembly 14, it is led into a filter where it is dehumidified. The moisture, now in the form of water, is led out of the assembly 14, whereby the now dry air is again forced out on the delivery side 18 inlet nozzles 12, 15, 16, 17. Inside the assembly 14 is arranged a circuit, which dries the moisture-absorbent substance in the filter. In this way, the moist air located in and around the door is exchanged with dry air, whereby ice that can hinder the movement of the door will not arise or in all events will be limited.

[0012] The present invention is not limited to the above description and as illustrated in the drawings but can be changed and modified in a number of different ways within the framework of the idea of invention specified in the following claims.


Claims

1. Method on a door arrangement for dehumidifying cavities, of which at least one (4) is arranged in a door leaf (2) of a door (1 ), characterised in that:

- one end of the cavity (4) is connected to an opening (12) for leading a gaseous medium into the cavity

- a second end of the cavity (4) is connected to an opening (13) for leading a gaseous medium out of the cavity (4), and

- a flow of a gaseous medium is forced through the cavity (4) via the said openings (12, 13).


 
2. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that the gaseous medium being used is air.
 
3. Method according to any one of the previous claims, whereby a cavity is enclosed between two at a distance from each other located doors, characterised in that some of the air is distributed in a separate flow path (17) to the cavity between the doors.
 
4. Method according to any one of the previous claims, characterised in that some of the air is distributed in a separate flow path (15) to a machinery box (9) arranged to the door (1).
 
5. Method according to claim 4, characterised in that some of the air is distributed in a separate flow path (16) to a motor fan (11) arranged to the machinery box (9).
 
6. Method according to any one of the previous claims, characterised in that the flow takes place via a first inlet connection (18) to an assembly (14) and a second outlet connection (19).
 
7. Method according to any one of the previous claims, characterised in that the assembly (14) used to obtain a forced flow of air comprises a fan unit with an associated dehumidifying filter.
 
8. Method in accordance with any one of the previous claims, characterised in that the flow of air from the cavity is dehumidified in the assembly (14) and led back to the cavity.
 
9. Method in accordance with any one of the previous claims, characterised in that the assembly (14) is arranged inside the room closed off by the door.
 
10. Door arrangement exhibiting cavities of which at least one (4) is located in a door leaf (2) of a door (1), characterised in that it comprises means (12, 15, 16, 17) of leading a gaseous medium into one end of the cavity (4), means (13, 15') of leading a gaseous medium out of the other side of the cavity (4) and an assembly (14) for providing a forced flow of a gaseous medium through the cavity (4).
 
11. Door arrangement in accordance with any one of the previous claims, characterised in that the gaseous medium comprises of air.
 
12. Door arrangement according to claim 10, characterised in that the means comprise openings defined by nozzles (12, 13, 15, 15', 16, 17).
 
13. Door arrangement in accordance with any one of the previous claims, characterised in that openings (12) are arranged to the side parts (7) of the door (1).
 
14. Door arrangement in accordance with any one of the previous claims, characterised in that openings (15, 15') are arranged to a machinery box (9) arranged to the door (1).
 
15. Door arrangement in accordance with claim 14, characterised in that openings (16) are arranged to a motor fan (11) in the machinery box (9).
 
16. Door arrangement according to any one of the previous claims, whereby a cavity is enclosed between two at a distance from each other located doors, characterised in that openings (17) are arranged to the cavities between the doors.
 
17. Door arrangement in accordance with any one of the previous claims, characterised in that in conjunction with the openings (12, 15, 16, 17) are arranged means (20) of adjusting the air flow.
 
18. Door arrangement in accordance with claim 17, characterised in that the means comprise restriction valves (20).
 
19. Door arrangement according to any one of the previous claims, characterised in that the assembly (14) comprises a dehumidifying filter and a fan (14) unit connected to the openings (12, 13, 15, 15', 16, 17) via pipes.
 




Drawing










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