COATING PANEL SYSTEM FOR FENCES

The present invention refers to a coating panel system for fences, in particular for application on pre- existing fences.

Fences, in particular outdoor fences, must first of all satisfy requirements of resistance to breaking or deformation. For this reason the materials commonly used to make them are metals or metal alloys. Nevertheless, since the specific weight of metals is relatively high, to avoid the fence structure having an excessive weight, fences are often made by arranging a series of shafts with a thin section vertically a maximum relative distance apart such as to prevent anything passing. Said shafts are connected and fixed in position by means of cross members, also with a thin section, but arranged horizontally, welded to the shafts in the respective contact points . This type of solution solves the problem of rigidity of the structure and of containing its weight, but on the other hand it does not allow the fence to be visually screened on either side.

The general purpose of the present invention is to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks of the prior art in an extremely simple, cost-effective and particularly functional manner.

Another purpose is to provide a solution that can easily be applied not only to specially arranged fences, but also and above all to pre-existing fences, made without considering the possibility of screening them at a later date.

In view of the aforementioned purposes, according to the present invention, it has been thought of to make a coating panel system for fences, having the characteristics outlined in the attached claims. The structural and functional characteristics of the present invention and its advantages compared to the prior art shall become even clearer from an examination of the following description, referring to the attached drawings, which show a fence and different types of screen for it obtained through panels made according to the innovative principles of the invention itself . In the drawings :

- figure 1 shows an elevation view of a first fence coated with a plurality of panels according to the present invention, arranged horizontally;

- figure 2 shows an elevation view of a second fence coated with a plurality of panels according to the present invention, arranged vertically; figure 3 shows an elevation view of a third fence coated with a plurality of panels according to the present invention, arranged vertically to cover just

the gaps between adjacent shafts;

- figures 4A-4E show a plan view of a fence and of panels, having a different section, arranged vertically on one side of the fence; - figure 5 shows a plan view of a fence with panels arranged vertically on both sides of the fence to cover just the gaps between adjacent shafts,- figure 6 shows a perspective view of two coating panels for fences, to cover both sides; - figure 7 is an exploded view illustrating a further possible variant of the invention; and

- figure 8 is a detail of figure 7.

With reference to the drawings, a fence is wholly indicated with 10 and, in the illustrated example, comprises a plurality of vertical shafts 11. The shafts are connected by cross members 12, arranged horizontally at different heights. The fence 10 rests on a base 13. The figures also show a plurality of panels 14, arranged to cover the fence 10.

In particular, the panels 14 shown in figure 1 are arranged horizontally, whereas those shown in figures 2 and 3 are arranged vertically. The panels shown in figure 3, moreover, do not cover the vertical shafts 11, but only the space between the same shafts.

The panels 14 can be of different types and have

different sections, as can be appreciated from figures 4A-4E. Moreover, the panels 14 can be arranged on just one side of the fence 10, or else on both sides. In the case in which the coating panels 14 are arranged on just one side of the fence, there must be at least one closing profile 15, arranged transversally to the panels 14, with which the ends of all of the panels 14 are coupled. Preferably, two closing profiles 15 are foreseen and each of the two ends of the coating panels 14 is coupled with one of said closing profiles 15. As well as the closing profiles 15, other connection elements between the panels 14 can be foreseen, arranged transversally to them to give the coating structure greater rigidity. In the case in which the coating panels 14 are arranged on both sides of the fence, as well as arranging a panel system 14 of the type seen above on the two sides of the fence, it is also possible to use special double-body panels 14, consisting of a first half-body 14' and a second half-body 14'', which can be coupled with each other in twos. In particular, with reference to figure 6, each half-body 14', 14'' is equipped with interlocking coupling means, arranged on a face 17 thereof, for coupling with corresponding means of the other half-body. It is possible to make panels 14 the half-bodies 14', 14'' of which are respectively

equipped with just male fittings 18 and with just female fittings 19, but it is preferable to make panels in which the two half-bodies 14', 14'' are identical and are both equipped with male fittings 18 and with female fittings 19, respectively arranged the same distance from one of the two middle axes of the face 17 of the half -body 14', 14'' on which they are located, so that by rotating one of the two half-bodies 14', 14'' by 180°, it is possible to couple the corresponding fittings. The solution with identical half-bodies 14', 14'' allows the manufacturing costs of the panels to be optimised, since it is not necessary to make different types of panels. The double-body panels 14 can be equipped with support thicknesses 20, which determine the distance between the two half-bodies 14', 14''. In the case in which said support thicknesses 20 are present, said interlocking coupling means are preferably positioned on the surface of said support thicknesses 20. In particular, the double-body panels 14 have the advantage, when arranged vertically, of being able to cover fences 10 of any length, by simply selecting the correct number of panels 14, without having to arrange closing profiles 15 of predetermined length. From what has been described above with reference to the figures, it is clear how the coating panel system

for fences according to the invention is particularly useful and advantageous. The purpose mentioned in the preamble of the description is thus achieved. Of course, the shapes of the coating panel system for fences of the invention can be different to the one shown as a non- limiting example in the drawings, just as the materials can also be different.

In addition, by the term fence, we also mean systems for protecting and/or shielding terraces, balconies and any other area, be it outdoor or indoor.

For example, the variant illustrated in figure 7 shows a part of a fence R, for example a part of an entry gate or of a balcony, which can be closed at the front through side-by-side slats D (housed between the uprights M of the fence) , said slats D being supported and fixed by means of cross members T arranged at the back and locked in place through attachment means, like for example nails or through pins S, male and female. The scope of protection of the invention is therefore defined by the attached claims.