US20060255325A1

US20060255325A1 - Fence

Info

Publication number: US20060255325A1
Application number: US11/129,354
Authority: US
Inventors: Chong-Yi Lo; Bill Forster
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-05-16
Filing date: 2005-05-16
Publication date: 2006-11-16

Abstract

A fence includes a plurality of fence units, which consist of plural vertical rods and plural lateral rods crossingly combined with each other. A decorative strip is combined with the uppermost one of the lateral rods, by means of plural grooves of the uppermost lateral rod and hooks of the decorative strip hooking in the grooves. The two ends of the uppermost lateral rod insert in an insert hole of a side post or a connect post and screwed tightly. Then the decorative strip is combined with the uppermost lateral rod as if covered on top of the rod. So the insert holes on the upper and the lower portion of the side post or the connect post are of the same shape and size, convenient for assembling and manufacturing.

Description

BACKGOUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a fence, particularly to one constituted by connecting a plurality fence units that include a decorative strip combined with an upper lateral rod in a hooking way, and a side post or a connecting post provided with an insert hole for the uppermost lateral rod to fit therein for easy and quick assembling, without need of matching with the shape of the decorative strip, enabling the insert holes of the side post and the connect post being the same shape and size for convenience of assembling and manufacturing.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional metal (such as aluminum) fences are constituted by connecting a plurality of fence units in series. Each fence unit consists of plural vertical rods and plural lateral rods, with a connect post provided between two fence units and a side post added so as to make a complete fence by connecting them in series. The vertical and lateral rods are shaped mainly square, and a curved decorative strip is added on the uppermost lateral rods for the whole neatness and the better perceptive feeling of a fence. However, the conventional fence has the following disadvantages for makers.
1. The decorative strip is made integral with the upper lateral rod, having a different shape and size from the other lower lateral rods, needing an extra mold for manufacturing the upper lateral rod with the decorative strip.
2. The upper lateral rod with the decorative strip has a different shape and size from the other lateral rods, so the side post and the connect post should have an upper insert hole of a different shape and size from that of a lower insert hole, causing inconvenience and complication in manufacturing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One purpose of the invention is to offer a fence constituted of plural fence units connected with a side post or a connect post in series, and the side post or the connect post is provided with plural insert holes for the two ends of the uppermost lateral rod to fit in and then screwed tightly together. Every insert hole of the side posts or the connect posts are of the same shape and size for convenience of assembling and manufacturing.
Another purpose of the invention is offer a fence provided with a decorative strip and an uppermost lateral rod combined with each other by hooking, so its assembling is very easy,
The feature of the invention is the uppermost lateral rod provided with an upper surface having two grooves formed spaced apart thereon and with the decorative strip having two hooks formed in two ends of two bent horizontal portions and spaced apart to correspond to the two grooves of the uppermost lateral rod, so the decorative strip may be combined with the upper end of the uppermost lateral rod by simple hooking of the two hooks with the two grooves. In addition, the insert holes of the side post and the connect post are formed of the same shape and size for the two ends of the uppermost lateral rod to fit in, very convenient for assembling and manufacturing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

This invention will be better understood by referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a first embodiment of a fence unit in the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of the first embodiment of a fence unit in the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an upper lateral rod and a decorative strip not combined together in the first embodiment of a fence in the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the upper lateral rod and the decorative strip combined together in the first embodiment of a fence in the present invention;
FIG. 5 is a partial enlarged view of FIG. 1;
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a connect post to connect in a line two fence units of the first embodiment of a fence in the present invention;
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the connect post to connect in the right angle two fence units of the first embodiment of a fence in the present invention;
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of an upper lateral rod and a decorative strip in a second embodiment of a fence in the present invention; and,
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the upper lateral rod and the decorative strip in the second embodiment of a fence in the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A first embodiment of a fence in the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, is constructed with a plurality of fence units 1 connected in series, and the fence unit 1 includes plural vertical rods 10 and plural lateral rods 20 fixed with the vertical rods 10 in a crossing way, a decorative strip 30, and a side posts 40 and a connect posts 50.
The uppermost one 21 of the lateral rods 20, as shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, has two grooves 210 spaced apart on an upper surface and having a mouth facing inward horizontally each other.
The decorative strip 30 has a curved upper horizontal wall and two bent hooks 31 formed in two ends of two lower horizontal sections bent from the two ends of the curved upper horizontal wall and spaced apart to correspond to the two grooves 210 of the uppermost lateral rod 21 to combine the decorative strip 30 with the uppermost lateral rod 21 as if covered on the uppermost lateral rod 21 as shown in FIG. 4. In addition, in order to let the hooks 31 to hook easily with the grooves 210, as shown in FIG. 3, the upper wall of the mouth of the groove 210 has a tapered surface 211, and the hooks 31 also have a tapered edge 310 to correspond to the tapered upper surface 211.
Next, when the fence unit 1 is to be combined with the side post 40, firstly the uppermost lateral rod 21 of the fence unit 1 has two ends to be fitted in the insert holes 41 of the side post 40 as shown in FIG. 5, and screwed tight. Then the decorative strip 30 is combined with the uppermost lateral rod 21, finishing assembling the fence unit 1 with the side post 40.
As the lateral rods 20 have only its uppermost lateral rod 21 inserted in the insert holes 41 of the side post 40, and the decorative strip 30 is combined with the uppermost lateral rod 21 by means of hooking without inserting in the side post 40, and then the uppermost lateral rod 21 is screwed tight with the side post 40. Therefore, the insert holes 41 at the upper and the lower end of the side post 40 can be made all the same size and shape, very convenient to handle or process.
Next, as shown in FIG. 6, when the fence unit 1 is to be combined with the connect post 50, the uppermost lateral rod 21 is also combined with the connect post 50 with the two ends fitting in the insert holes 51 of the connect post 50, so the connect post 50 has its insert holes 51 possible to have the same shape and size, also convenient to handle and process. In case the fence unit 1 is to be combined with the connect post 50 in a right angle, as shown in FIG. 7, the two ends of the uppermost lateral rod 21 only fit in the insert holes 51 of the connect post 50, convenient to handle as well.
Next, a second embodiment of a fence unit 1 is shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, has a difference from the first embodiment in the uppermost post 21, having the grooves 210 provided with its mouth facing outward instead of inward, and the decorative strip 30 has the hooks 31 shaped straight to hook easily in the grooves 210. And as shown in FIG. 8, the grooves 210 have a tapered surface 211 and the hooks 31 have a tapered surface 311 to correspond to the tapered surface 211 for the hooks 31 and the grooves 210 easily hooking with each other. Although the grooves 210 are projecting upward on the upper surface of the uppermost lateral rod 21, the height of the uppermost lateral rod 21 from the lower end to the upper edge of the groove 210 is the same as the height of the insert hole 41 of the side post 40 in the first embodiment, so it is not necessary to alter the size of the insert hole 41.
In general, the decorative strip 30 is combined with the uppermost lateral rod 21 by means of hooking, unnecessary to fit in the insert holes 41 or 51 of the side post 40 or the connect post 50 or 60, so all the insert holes 41, 51 and 61 can be the same shape and size, very convenient to assemble and manufacture.
While the preferred embodiments of the inventin have been described and it will be recognized and understood that various modifications may be made therein and the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications that may fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A fence constructed by plurality of fence units, said fence unit comprising plural vertical rods and plural lateral rods combined with one another in an crossing way, the uppermost of said lateral rod combined with a decorative strip; and,

characterized by said uppermost lateral rod provided with plural grooves on its upper surface, said decorative strip provided with plural hooks to fit respectively in said grooves of said uppermost lateral rod; said uppermost lateral rod having two ends fitting in said insert holes of a side post or a connect post and then screwed tightly, said decorative strip combined with said uppermost lateral rod to cover said uppermost lateral rod after combined with said side post or said connect post.

2. The fence as claimed in claim 1, wherein said grooves of said uppermost lateral rod are located spaced apart on an upper surface and projecting upward to form a mouth facing inward horizontally; said hooks of said decorative strip are formed at two ends of two lower sections bending down inward horizontally from two ends of a curved upper horizontal wall and spaced apart to correspond to said grooves of said uppermost lateral rod so as to hook with each other easily.

3. The fence as claimed in claim 1, wherein said grooves of said uppermost lateral rod are located spaced apart on an upper surface, and their mouth faces outward, and said hooks of said decorative strip are located in two lower walls to hook with said grooves.

4. The fence as claimed in claim 2, wherein said grooves of said uppermost lateral rod and said hooks of said decorative strip respectively have a tapered surface to fit each other.