Technical Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a post and a fence assembly including such post. Background of the Invention

Posts and fence assemblies with those are usually installed out into the open to define a boundary between a friendly side (e.g. a property to be protected) and a hostile side (e.g. outside of such property, such as public space or a piece of land neighboring such property), expected to be durable against both atmospheric conditions such as rain and forced entry attempts. An exemplary post which is suitable to be employed in a fence assembly is publicly available under the patent applicaton number EP 2 481 975.

It is of utmost importance that a post has minimized weakpoints in terms of mechanical strength against impacts from the hostile side. The post and the fence assembly employing such post is expected to maintain its form and function even after impacts and stresses from the hostile side.

From the aspect of economic feasibility in terms of labor costs and production costs, it is also desired that a post is easy to produce and enables easy, flexible and rapid installation.

Posts and fence assemblies where the posts are employed should be altered to improve the current state of the art.

Objects of the Invention

Primary object of the present invention is to eliminate the above-mentioned shortcomings in the present state of the art. The main object of the present invention is to overcome the above mentioned shortcomings in the present state of the art. Another object of the present invention is to provide a robust and high strength post and fence assembly.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a post and fence assembly with enhanced security against unauthorized manipulation thereof.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a post and fence assembly with enhanced labor safety at installation and takedown processes.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a low labor and production cost to post and fence assembly by being easy to produce and install or take down.

Brief Description of the Invention

The present invention proposes an elongate post for securing fences thereon, having an essentially mushroom-shaped cross-section which is essentially symmetrical around a symmetry axis, comprising the following portions integrally ordered along the symmetry axis at each side of the symmetry axis: a first portion having a mainly convex outer face and an essentially flat inner face; the first portion having a width parallel to the inner face, and a depth along the symmetry axis; a second portion having a maximum distance to the symmetry axis which is mainly equal to a minimum distance of the inner face to the symmetry axis, the second portion forming an essentially flat side surface along a depth mainly perpendicular to the inner face and mainly parallel to the symmetry axis; and a third portion delimiting the depth by having a distance to the symmetry axis which is greater than the maximum distance of the second portion at the end of the second portion distal to the first portion. The present invention further proposes a fence assembly including such post.

Brief Explanation of the Figures The figures brief explanation of which is herewith provided are solely intended for providing a better understanding of the present invention and are as such not intended to define the scope of protection or the context in which said scope is to be interpreted in the absence of the description.

Figure 1 shows (a) a cross-sectional view, (b) a front side perspective view, (c) a back side perspective view, and (d) a cross-sectional view of a preferred embodiment of a post according to the present invention.

Figure 2 shows (a) a cross-sectional view, (b) a front perspective view and (c) a front view of a post assembly according to the present invention.

Figure 3 shows a back perspective view of the exemplary post assembly shown in Fig.2.

Figure 4 exemplifies a detailed cross-sectional view emphasizing the contact between the securing means and the post at its both second and third portions onto which the securing means abuts.

Figure 5 shows (a) perspective and (b) frontal views from a back (friendly) side of a fence assembly according to the present invention; showing the case where the fence assembly is installed onto a staged basis. Figure 6 shows a frontal view from a front (hostile) side of a fence assembly shown in Fig.5.

Figure 7 shows frontal views of a fence assembly according to the present invention, from (a) back (friendly) side and (b) front (hostile) side, wherein the assembly is installed onto an inclined basis.

Figure 8 shows (a) alternative relative positions between the fence and the post, said positions corresponding to those individually shown in 8 (b), 8 (c) and 8 (d). Figure 9 shows a fence assembly according to the present invention installed on a subject/ground in case of elevation difference between the hostile friendly sides of the fence assembly. Figure 10 shows a longitudinal section of the fence assembly shown in the Fig.9, wherein enablement of montage from a single side of the assembly is emphasized.

Detailed Description of the Invention Referring to the figures outlined before, the present invention proposes an elongate post (100) for securing fences thereon, having an essentially mushroom-shaped cross-section which is essentially symmetrical around a symmetry axis (A), comprising the following portions integrally ordered along the symmetry axis (A) at each side of the symmetry axis (A):

- a first portion (110) having a mainly convex outer face (111) and an essentially flat inner face (112); the first portion (110) having a width (W) parallel to the inner face (112), and a depth (D) along the symmetry axis (A);

- a second portion (120) having a maximum distance (h2) to the symmetry axis (A) which mainly corresponds to a minimum distance (hi) of the inner face (112) to the symmetry axis (A), the second portion (120) forming an essentially flat side surface (121) along a depth (D) mainly perpendicular to the inner face (112) and mainly parallel to the symmetry axis (A); and

- a third portion (130) delimiting the depth (D) by having a support surface (132) with a distance (h3) to the symmetry axis (A) which is greater than the maximum distance (h2) of the second portion (120) at the end of the second portion (120) distal to the first portion (110).

The distance (h3) being greater than the maximum distance (h3) enables a securing means having a width to fill the depth (D) when it is secured onto the side surface (121) at constraining a fence between itself and the inner face (112). In this case, an impact coming from hostile side (H) defined by the outer face (111) of the first portion (110) is absorbed by the third portion (130) through a support surface (132) instead of being undertaken by any fixation means (e.g. screw) used to fix the securing means to the post (100). Hence, the post according to the present invention enables a long service life to a fence assembly where it is employed. The contact between the securing means (300) and the support surface (132) are exemplified over a detailed view provided in Fig.4.

The above features renders the post (100) suitable to be installed so that the outer face (111) of the first portion (110) delimits a hostile side and the third portion (130) delimits a friendly side (F) (e.g. zone surrounded with the fence) and thus the post defines the limits of a friendly side.

The above described post (100) geometry allows securing an essentially planar/flat fence (200) to the post (100) using a securing means (300) having an essentially flat surface to face the second portion, and to fit to the depth of the second portion along with the thickness of the fence. This feature enables a tight fixation of the fence to the post (100). The features of the second portion (120) and its delimited depth (D) between the first portion (110) and the support surface (132) on the third portion (130) further reinforces the fixation of the fence mounted to the post against impacts to the outer face (111), so that the third portion (130) holds the securing means and also the fence in place.

Furthermore, the maximum distance (h2) from the symmetry axis provides a thickness (corresponding two times h2) to the post (100) perpendicular to the symmetry axis (A) around the second portion (120). Said thickness lowers the consumption of fences at installation of fence assemblies, since the post is intended to be positioned between two consecutive parts of individual fences and isolate those by a distance corresponding said thickness of the second portion (120). Therefore the present invention also minimizes the material cost in terms of (wired or solid) fence panels. Such securing means can be fixed on any point on the side surface (121) of the second portion (120) e.g. by drilling holes and screwing the securing means to said holes. The fence is to be constrained between the securing means and the inner face (112) of the first portion (110). Securing of such fence to the post (100) does not require any modification of the outer face (111), and therefore the outer face (111) of the first portion (110) can be kept intact at the installation, when observed from the hostile side. The securing means, and fixation-related means such as screws remain behind the first portion (110) relative the hostile side and they are thus rendered unavailable for any intervention from the hostile side. Zones where fixation of the securing means is applied onto the post (100) is thus also visually undetectable at an aspect from the hostile side towards the outer face (111) of the first portion (110).

The post according to the present invention enabling fixation of securing means on any point on the side surface (121) of the second portion (120) as explained above, further enables fast and easy installation of the post and forming a fence assembly therewith without necessitating any pre-formed incavations (which corresponds to undue weak points, along with undue production costs and installation complexities) on the post even on staged bases as depicted in Fig.5(a), Fig.5(b) and Fig.6. Exemplary perspective view and frontal view from a back (friendly) side of a fence assembly according to the present invention are provided as Fig.5(a) and Fig.5(b), respectively, wherein the fence assembly is installed onto a staged basis. Frontal view of the assembly shown in Figs. 5(a) and 5(b) from the other (front or hostile) side is given in Fig.6.

Since the above disclosed form of the post (100) enables montage without necessitating to manipulation of the outer face but manageable by only operating the inner face (112) and the side surface (121), the installation of the post (100) can be performed by working only at the friendly side of the post (from an aspect distal to the outer face (111). Thus, installation and removal of the post (100) can be handled without necessitating a worker to step onto the hostile side. This is especially important in maximizing the labor safety in case of elevation difference between the hostile and friendly sides of the fence assembly as depicted in the Fig.9 and Fig.10. Here, the Fig.9 shows a fence assembly according to the present invention installed on a subject in case of elevation difference between the hostile friendly sides of the fence assembly. The Fig.10 shows a longitudinal section of the fence assembly shown in the Fig.9, wherein enablement of montage from a single side of the assembly is emphasized. The inner face (112) being essentially flat, enables fixation of a mainly planar fence with a mainly straight edge along the post at various angles as summarized in Fig.8(a) and shown in Fig.8(b), Fig.8(c) and Fig.8(d) with alternative angles between the side surface (121) of the post (100) and the edge (201) of a fence (200). In other words, the Fig.8(a) shows alternative relative positions/angles between the fence and the post, said positions corresponding to those individually shown in Fig.8(b), Fig.8(c) and Fig.8(d). This feature with its wing form enables/facilitates/quickens installation of the post (100) and forming a fence assembly even on difficult grounds with inclined bases (e.g. with an inclination angle β shown in Fig. 7 (a) and (b)), without necessitating reformation/cutting/bending of a fence having an essentially straight edge. Fig.7(a) and Fig.7(b) are provided for better understanding this advantage. Exemplary frontal views of a fence assembly according to the present invention, in Fig.7(a) from its back (friendly) side and in Fig.7(b) from its front (hostile) side, wherein the assembly is installed onto an inclined basis with an angle (β) to the horizon (i.e. with an angle of (90° - β) to the direction of gravitation, where the full angle is 360°).

The post (100) can be made of sheet metal, two edges of which being clinched together at the third portion (130) at the symmetry axis (A). Several drawings of such exemplary post according to the present invention is shown in Fig. 1(a), 1(b) and 1(c). Clinching enables obtainment of a closed-profile post by keeping any useful layers obtained by surface treatment of the sheet metal intact. Contrary to welding, clinching enables durability against corrosion by not harming any surface treatment layers on the sheet metal. The sheet metal surface may be treated by e.g. galvanization, coating or painting. Clinching requires two distal edges of the sheet metal to overlap at an overlapping zone (131) which can preferably be on the symmetry axis (A) and which can further be distal to the outer face (111), provides even further enhanced strength to the post (100) against any potential impact or force exerted onto the outer face (111). This also enables that the overlapping zone is visually undetectable from the hostile side.

The post (100) according to the present invention can have a shape and size to assure that in the cross-section, the quotient obtained by dividing the width (W) of the first portion (110) parallel to the inner face (112), by the depth (d) of the first portion (110) along the symmetry axis (A) is less than 2, and more preferably less than 1.8. An exemplary cross-sectional view of such post is shown in Fig.1(d). This geometry provides an optimized strength to the post (100) against impacts onto the outer face (111) and thus enhances the service life of the post and also of a fence assembly where such post is employed.

In the post (100) according to the present invention, the first portion (110) can be corrugated, preferably along the post (100), so that the cross-section of the post comprises a plurality of indentations at the outer face (111), as exemplified in Figs l(a)-l(d). This geometry further enhances the strength of the post against impacts onto the outer face (111) and thus further enhances the service life of the post and also of a fence assembly where such post is employed.

Several manners of employing the post (100) according to the present invention in a fence are exemplified in Fig.3 showing an exemplary perspective view a fence assembly from back side (friendly side) thereof. It is clearly seen on the figures that the securing means is only available and visible from the friendly side.

The present invention further proposes a fence assembly (1000) comprising the post (100) as described above, the fence assembly (1000) further comprising an essentially plate-shaped fence (200) and a securing means (300) adapted to secure the fence (200) to the post (100).

In said fence assembly (1000), the fence (200) has a thickness (T) perpendicular to a main plane defined by a side the fence (200). The securing means (300) comprises a fence side (310) adapted to face the fence (200) and to cooperate with the inner face (112) by mechanically connecting therewith to at least partly sandwich the fence (200) between the fence side (310) and the inner face (112). The securing means (300) further comprises an essentially flat alignment side (320) mainly perpendicular to the fence side (310) thereby adapted to face the side surface (121) of the post (100).

The length (L) of the securing means (300) parallel to the alignment side (320) and perpendicular to the fence side (310) essentially corresponds to the difference between said depth (D) and said thickness (T), so that both of the fence (200) and the securing means (300) fit to the second portion (120) (and thus constrained between the first portion (110) and the third portion (130)) when the post (100), fence (200) and securing means (300) are connected to each other to form the fence assembly (1000). An exemplary cross-sectional view of such fence assembly is shown in Fig. 2(a). An exemplary front perspective view (from the hostile side) and exemplary front view (from the hostile side) of such assembly is shown in Figs. 2(b) and 2(c), respectively. A detailed view showing the geometric arrangement between the second portion (120), third portion (130) and the securing means (300) is exemplified in Fig.4.

The above explained features of the fence assembly (1000) includes the minimum requirements for the absorption of impacts coming from hostile side defined by the outer face (111) of the first portion (110) by the third portion (130) instead of being undertaken by any fixation means (e.g. screw) used to fix the securing means to the post (100). Therefore, the fence assembly according to the present invention enables a long service life and an enhanced security to the friendly side.

In the fence assembly (1000) according to the present invention, the securing means (300) can comprise a groove (330) between the fence side (310) and the alignment side (320) shaped and sized to receive an elongate wire on the fence (200). As depicted in the exemplary Fig.2(a), this geometry enables constraining an out-of-plane edge portion of the fence from sliding in directions parallel to the inner face (112) when the fence assembly is forced from the hostile side by impacts exerted onto the outer face (111). Therefore this embodiment further enhances the strength, security and service life of the fence assembly (1000).

Thus, at least the following objects are achieved by the present invention: - the provision of a robust and high strength post and fence assembly,

- the provision of a post and fence assembly with enhanced security against unauthorized manipulation thereof,

- the provision of a post and fence assembly with enhanced labor safety at installation and takedown processes, - the provision of a low labor and production cost post and fence assembly by being easy to produce and install or take down.

List of reference signs used in the text and drawings:

100 post

110 first portion

111 outer face (of the first portion)

112 inner face (of the first portion)

120 second portion

121 side surface (of the second portion)

130 third portion

131 overlapping zone

132 support surface

200 fence (plate)

300 securing means

310 fence side (of the securing means)

320 alignment side (of the securing means)

330 groove (of the securing means)

1000 fence assembly

A symmetry axis

β inclination angle

D depth

F friendly side

H hostile side

hi minimum distance of the inner face to the symmetry axis

h2 maximum distance (at the second portion) to the symmetry axis h3 distance (at the third portion) to the symmetry axis

L length of the securing means parallel to the alignment side and perpendicular to the fence side

T thickness of the fence