US4367781A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Interleaved flexible weather door and method of manufacture
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1980-09-24
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Granted: 1983-01-11
•
Expires: 2000-09-24
Abstract
Abstract A weather door suitable for commercial garages and warehouses made from sheets of flexible plastic having a length at least twice the height of the doorway to be covered and in which the sheet of plastic is slit in such a way so that when it is folded in the middle, a series of strips of the plastic can be interleaved to present a weather barrier when hung across a door opening that will part around a vehicle or other object or a person entering or leaving the doorway.
Inventors
- 👤 Theodore E. Vallieres, Jr.
- 👤 Nicholas F. Dinicola
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 13:28
CPC Classifications
E; E06; E06B; E06B3/00; E06B3/70; E06B3/80
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
221 words
A flexible weather barrier for doorways comprising: a barrier section having (a) A flexible sheet of plastic folded in the middle, halfway of its length dimension, to form a double layer; (b) a first plurality of slits in a first layer of said double layer extending from a first end edge inwardly to a first transverse region near said middle dividing said first layer into a first series of strips; (c) a second plurality of slits in a second layer of said double layer extending from a second end edge inwardly to a second transverse region near said middle and opposite to said first transverse region to form a second series of strips, said second plurality of slits offset from said first plurality of slits whereby said slits do not fall on each other; and, (d) a plurality of apertures in said first layer, each aperture extending transversely from a respective one of said first plurality of slits at the end nearest said middle partially across the respective one of said first series of strips, said second series of strips passing partially through said apertures whereby said first series of strips and said second series of strips are interleaved with at least some of said strips being partly on one side and partly on the other side of said double layer.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
221 words
A flexible weather barrier for doorways comprising: a barrier section having (a) A flexible sheet of plastic folded in the middle, halfway of its length dimension, to form a double layer; (b) a first plurality of slits in a first layer of said double layer extending from a first end edge inwardly to a first transverse region near said middle dividing said first layer into a first series of strips; (c) a second plurality of slits in a second layer of said double layer extending from a second end edge inwardly to a second transverse region near said middle and opposite to said first transverse region to form a second series of strips, said second plurality of slits offset from said first plurality of slits whereby said slits do not fall on each other; and, (d) a plurality of apertures in said first layer, each aperture extending transversely from a respective one of said first plurality of slits at the end nearest said middle partially across the respective one of said first series of strips, said second series of strips passing partially through said apertures whereby said first series of strips and said second series of strips are interleaved with at least some of said strips being partly on one side and partly on the other side of said double layer.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
29 words
A flexible weather barrier according to claim 1 wherein said barrier comprises a series of barrier sections overlapped end to end to cover the width of an entire doorway.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
29 words
A flexible weather barrier according to claim 1 wherein said weather barrier further comprises an adherent horizontal reinforcing tape covering covering at least said transverse regions near said middle.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
A flexible weather barrier according to claim 1 wherein said barrier section comprises multi layered plastic sheets all slit, folded and interleaved as though they were one.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
46 words
A flexible weather barrier according to claim 4 wherein at least one of said multi layered sheets is shorter whereby the upper part of the weather barrier comprises more layers and is less affected by air currents while the lower part separates more readily for passage.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
24 words
A flexible weather barrier according to claim 5 wherein at least one of said shorter sheets is pigmented while the longer ones are transparent.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
139 words
A method of manufacturing a flexible weather barrier for doorways comprising: (a) cutting a sheet of flexible plastic to a length at least twice the height of a doorway to be protected; (b) slitting said sheet from each end into a plurality of strips with the slits extending to a midsection that is left integral, the slits from one end being offset with respect to the slits from the other end; (c) cutting at least some of the strips in one end laterally a portion of their width at the location where they join said midsection; (d) folding the sheet along the center of said midsection to form a double layer; and, (e) interleaving the laterally cut strips with strips in the other end so that portions of the interleaved strips are on each side of said double layer.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
139 words
A method of manufacturing a flexible weather barrier for doorways comprising: (a) cutting a sheet of flexible plastic to a length at least twice the height of a doorway to be protected; (b) slitting said sheet from each end into a plurality of strips with the slits extending to a midsection that is left integral, the slits from one end being offset with respect to the slits from the other end; (c) cutting at least some of the strips in one end laterally a portion of their width at the location where they join said midsection; (d) folding the sheet along the center of said midsection to form a double layer; and, (e) interleaving the laterally cut strips with strips in the other end so that portions of the interleaved strips are on each side of said double layer.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method of manufacturing according to claim 7 further comprising overlapping a plurality of said sheets after said folding and interleaving so as to attain the width of a given doorway.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method of manufacturing according to claim 7 further comprising bonding a reinforcing tape laterally across the location where the strips join said midsection.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1986-01-10 | 1986-07-12 | 1987-01-11 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1990-01-10 | 1990-07-12 | 1991-01-11 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1994-01-10 | 1994-07-12 | 1995-01-11 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |