AU2007234605A1 - Water Storage Fence - Google Patents

Description

ORIGINAL

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION Invention title: "WATER STORAGE FENCE" Applicant: GARRY JOHN BUSWELL Associated Provisional Application No.: Application number 2006906542 filed 23 November 2006 The following statement is a full description of the invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: O "WATER STORAGE FENCE" 0 O Field of the Invention Z The present invention relates to a fence structure designed as a water storage N 5 facility and relates more particularly, though not exclusively, to such a fence of modular construction and a kit for constructing the fence.

Background to the Invention t Australia is currently experiencing one of the worst droughts on record, and S 10 many other countries are similarly experiencing some of the severe effects of Oclimate change. This has highlighted the urgent need to find other sources of drinking water and to conserve the dwindling resources still available. Various government incentives and innovative proposals are being considered to encourage the recovery and storage of rainwater and runoff for drinking and for watering gardens.

In Australia it is common practice for land developers when subdividing and selling a new housing estate to erect fences and walls around the estate and to mark off the boundaries between housing blocks. In addition, every owner of a new block of land is required to erect a dividing fence to separate their property from the adjacent property. Currently such fence lines serve no purpose other than as a boundary marker and to give residents a measure of privacy in their own yards.

The present invention was developed with a view to making better use of such fence lines by providing a fence constructed in such a way that it can also serve as a water storage facility. Rain water collected from the roofs of houses in the estate can then be channelled to, and stored in, such water storage fences. It will be appreciated that the water storage fence may also find other applications, for example, for temporarily storing bore water pumped up from underground as drinking water for animals penned in an enclosure formed by the fence.

O References to prior art in this specification are provided for illustrative Opurposes only and are not to be taken as an admission that such prior art is O part of the common general knowledge in Australia or elsewhere.

z S 5 Summary of the Invention In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a 0 water storage fence comprising: e a base module of hollow construction and adapted to function as a tank for storing water; and, Oa support structure provided in connection with the base module for supporting a barrier on top of the base module wherein, in use, the base module can be used for storing water whilst simultaneously acting as an integral component of a fence.

Preferably the base module is one of a plurality of base modules of modular construction, each base module having at least one joining means for joining the base module to an adjacent base module. In a preferred embodiment, each base module is of elongate construction and the joining means comprises elongate protrusions at each end of the base member and connecting posts adapted to receive the protrusions of adjacent base members in a sliding manner to secure the protrusions.

The connecting post may be of generally of H-shaped cross section defining opposing vertical slots into which are received the protrusions. Preferably the outer ends of the vertical slots are narrowed and are received in vertical grooves in opposed sides of the protrusion.

In a preferred embodiment, a connecting means is provided for connecting the interior of adjacent base modules. Each base module is preferably provided with one or more first apertures on a first longitudinal side thereof and one or more second apertures on a second longitudinal side thereof and the O connecting means comprises one or more hollow pipes extending between N respective first and second apertures of adjacent base modules.

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Z Preferably a pair of first apertures are provided at opposite ends of the first CN1 N 5 longitudinal side of the base member and a pair of second apertures are provided at opposite ends of the second longitudinal side of the base member.

In a preferred embodiment, the support structure comprises a base wall Nextending along the length of the upper surface of the base module.

S 10 Advantageously, the base wall is integrally formed with the hollow base Smodule. The base wall may be centrally located on the upper surface of the base module and be joined to the side walls on both sides by a respective inclined top wall portion.

Preferably one or more of the connecting posts are provided as extended connecting posts which extend above the base module for securing fencing.

Preferably vertical edges of the fencing panel are received in the vertical slots of the end posts and extended connecting posts Each module is preferably of generally rectangular configuration having a substantially horizontal flat bottom, two substantially vertical side walls and two substantially vertical end walls when oriented in an upright position.

Advantageously, intermediate wall portions are provided between the side walls and adjacent end walls, the intermediate portions being oriented at degrees to the side walls.

The side walls may be provided with one or more recesses opening into a top wall portion for receiving soil and stabilising the base module when the base module is buried.

One or more corner modules may be provided for joining the base modules of adjoining fence lines substantially at a right angle.

0 Z Throughout the specification, unless the context requires otherwise, the word c 5 "comprise" or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers but In not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers. Likewise the word "preferably" or variations such as "preferred", will be understood to imply that a (Ni stated integer or group of integers is desirable but not essential to the working of the invention.

Brief Description of the Drawings The nature of the invention will be better understood from the following detailed description of several specific embodiments of the water storage fence, given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a front perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a base module for a water storage fence in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 is a rear view of the base module of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a top view of the base module of Figure 1; Figure 4 illustrates the manner in which a plurality of the base modules of Figure 1 may be joined end to end to form a base for a fence line of a preferred embodiment of a water storage fence of the invention; Figure 5 illustrates the manner in which connecting posts are connected to join adjacent base modules; Figure 6 illustrates the manner in which a track component and fence panels are installed between the posts on top of the base modules; Figure 7 illustrates the manner in which fence capping is attached to the top of the fence panels after their installation; O Figure 8 illustrates how connector hoses are attached to adjoining base N modules to provide fluid communication; O Figure 9 shows top views of connections between base modules Z arranged both in alignment and at ninety degrees to each other to S 5 create joins between fence lines; and Figure 10 illustrates a fully assembled embodiment of a water storage fence in accordance with the present invention; Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments SA preferred embodiment of a base module 10 for a water storage fence 12 in accordance with the invention, as illustrated in Figures 1 to 3, comprises a hollow body 14 adapted to function as a tank for storing water and as a base for a barrier 16 supported on top of the base module 10 (see Figures 5 to In use, the base module 10 can be used for storing water whilst simultaneously acting as an integral component of the fence 12. Preferably the base module 10 is one of a plurality of base modules 10 of modular construction, each base module 10 having a joining means for joining the base module 10 to an adjacent base module. Preferably each base module is of elongate construction and has a first joining means provided at one end and a second joining means provided at the other end.

In the illustrated embodiment the hollow body 14 of each base module 10 is of generally rectangular configuration, and has a substantially horizontal flat bottom (not visible), two substantially vertical side walls 22a and 22b, and two substantially vertical end walls 24a and 24b when oriented in an upright position as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The base modules 10 are also provided with angled intermediate walls 25 joining the side walls 22 and adjacent end walls 24. The intermediate walls 25 are oriented at 45 degrees to the side wall 22 such that when a pair of base modules 10 are joined at ninety degrees (as shown in Figure 9) the intermediate walls 25 of the adjacent modules 10 rest against each other.

N Each base module preferably includes one or more internal ribs extending O across a portion of the hollow body 14. The internal ribs connect between the Z side walls 22 to prevent the side walls from moving away from each other S 5 under the force of the water within. The internal ribs preferably extend between side walls 22a and 22b adjacent the middle of the side walls 22. The edges 27 of the internal ribs can be seen in Figure 1. The internal ribs are arranged so that water is not prevented from flowing from one end of the (N module 10 to the other.

ri Each base module 10 of the illustrated embodiment is preferably about 1200 mm long, 600 mm wide, and 800 mm high and is designed to have a water storage capacity of about 400 litres.

Preferably the side walls 22 are formed with a plurality of recesses 26 therein.

In this embodiment two recesses 26 of semi-circular cross-section are provided at equally spaced intervals along the side walls 22, each recess 26 opening at the top into a top wall portion 32 of the hollow body 14. The purpose of the recesses 26 is to help stabilise the base module 10 when it is buried in soil. In use, the side walls 22 of the base module 10 are normally fully buried beneath the surface so that each of the recesses 26 is filled with soil. The weight and friction of the soil in the recesses 26 inhibits the movement of the base module 10 so that it cannot be readily lifted without first removing the soil.

A vertically oriented base wall 30 extends longitudinally of the base module and upwards from an upper surface of the hollow body 14. Preferably the base wall 30 is centrally located on the upper surface of the hollow body 14 and is joined to the side walls 22a and 22b on both sides by the respective inclined top wall portions 32a and 32b. The base wall 30 is itself also preferably of hollow construction and is about 70mm in width from side to side.

O The base modules 10 are preferably manufactured from 3mm blow moulded N polypropylene, but may also be manufactured from other materials. For O example, the base modules 10 could be manufactured via a rotational Z moulding technique using a thermosoftening polymer (thermoplastic) such as N 5 low density polyethylene (LDPE).

In this embodiment, the first and second joining means, provided on the end walls 24 of the hollow body 14, include elongate protrusions 18 extending along the vertical length of the end walls 24. The elongate protrusions 18 on each end of the base module 10 are of the same configuration such that outer Sedges of the elongate protrusions 18 abut when a pair of base modules 10 are placed adjacent each other as shown in Figures 4 and Each elongate protrusion 18 includes vertical grooves 19 on each side thereof. The joining means in the embodiment shown includes also connecting posts 20 which secure together the elongate protrusions 18 of adjacent base modules 10. Each connecting post 20 used to join base modules 10 is of generally H-shaped cross section such that the open edges of the connecting post 20 form vertical slots each for receiving a protrusion 18 of the base module 10 in a sliding manner (as shown in Figure The vertical slots of the connecting posts 20 include a narrowed outer end such that the outer ends of the connecting posts 20 engage in the grooves 19 to prevent removal of the protrusions 18 from the connecting posts 20. Preferably, the H-shaped cross section of the connecting posts 20 is formed by connecting two U-shaped members back to back.

In order to connect base modules 10 together at right angles to create either the corner of a fence line or an intersection of fence lines, one or more corner connecting posts 34 are provided. As shown in Figure 9, the corner connecting posts 34 have vertical slots for receiving the protrusions 18 of adjacent base modules 10, however the vertical slots are arranged at an angle (in this case 90 degrees) to each other to connect base modules 10 arranged O at an angle. The corner connecting posts 34 may include 2, 3, or 4 vertical N slots for connecting 2, 3 or 4 base modules 10 as shown. Preferably the O corner connecting posts 34 are created by connecting 2, 3, 4 or four members Z each having a single slot together. As can be seen in Figure 9, generally V- S 5 shaped members are provided which can be connected together to create the connecting post 34 with each slot being perpendicular to an adjacent slot.

Preferably each base module 10 has one or more first apertures 36 provided N in the base of the hollow body 14, for connecting the module in fluid r"communication with an adjacent module. Preferably each base module N also has one or more second apertures 38 provided in the base of the hollow body 14 for connecting the module in fluid communication with an adjacent module on the opposite side. In this embodiment a pair of first apertures 36a and 36b provided on opposite ends of the hollow body 14, and a pair of second apertures 38a and 38b provided on opposite ends of the hollow body 14. If the corner module 34 is also used for storing water, then the corner module may likewise be provided with first and second apertures (not visible) for connecting the corner module to the adjoining base modules.

Typically a connecting means 40 is provided for connecting one of the first apertures 36a to the first aperture 36b of an adjacent module. In this embodiment the connecting means 40 comprises a short length of hollow pipe 42. Preferably the hollow pipe 42 is flexible, and is made from conventional garden hose pipe. A hose connector 44 is provided at each end of the short length of garden hose pipe 42, which is received in watertight connection in matching connectors provided in the first and second apertures 36 and 38 respectively in the hollow body 14 of the base module, as shown in Figure 4.

Preferably a support structure is provided in connection with the base modules 10 for supporting a barrier 16 on top of the base modules so as to form a fence. The barrier may take any suitable form and may comprise a solid barrier formed from fencing panels, as will be described in more detail below, or may comprise a wire barrier formed of fencing wire or wire netting C depending on the application. In a preferred embodiment of the water storage o fence 12 the support structure is provided integral with the base modules Z In the illustrated embodiment, the base wall 30 forms a support structure for c 5 supporting a barrier on top of the base modules The water storage fence 12 is provided with connecting posts 20 that are approximately the height of the base modules 10 and extended connecting N posts 21. The extended connecting posts 21 extend above the ground in use and form the fence posts between which are installed fence panels Also provided are end posts 48 which are of the same length as the extended connecting posts 21 but only include a single vertical slot. In the preferred embodiment in which the H-shaped connecting posts 20 are formed from two U-shaped members, the end post 48 simply comprises a single such Ushaped member. The end posts 48 are received onto the protrusion 18 of the endmost base module 10 to form the end of the fence line. Each of the posts and 48 are also provided with caps to cover the open upper ends.

Preferably the water storage fence 12 further comprises one or more track components 52 which are received on top of the base walls 30 of the base modules 10. The track components 52 are manufactured from 1.6 mm rolled steel and are designed to receive and retain the bottom edge of the fencing panels 50 therein, as shown in Figures 6 and 7 (see especially the detail of Figure 7).

Typically the water storage fence 12 is supplied in kit form and can be assembled by someone without any specialist training as a Do It Yourself (DIY) project. A kit for the water storage fence would typically comprise a plurality of base modules 10, connecting hoses 40, connecting posts extended connecting posts 21, end posts 48, fencing panels 50, track components 52, and lengths of fence capping 54. The fencing panels 50 are

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typically cut from rolled 0.6 mm pre-painted steel sheets, such as that sold c under the registered trade mark "Colorbond" and manufactured by Bluescope o Steel. Each fencing panel 50 is typically 1200 mm X 2000 mm in size. The Z fence capping 54 is typically also manufactured from rolled 1.6 mm prec 5 painted steel. The number and lengths of the fence components provided in the water storage fence kit will depend on the length of the fence line(s) to be In installed. An alternative to using rolled steel fencing panels is to use pre-cast lightweight fibre-reinforced concrete slabs 58 (not illustrated).

The DIY kit may also come supplied with a suitable downpipe (not shown) for c connecting the water storage fence 12 to the roof of a house or other building (not shown). The kit may also include a small pump (not illustrated) to facilitate the pumping of water out of the base modules 10. A tap (not shown) for opening and closing the supply of water stored in the base modules 10 may also be supplied. Alternatively, the downpipe, the tap and/or the pump, may be supplied separately as they may require a qualified plumber or builder to install.

The process of assembling and constructing a preferred embodiment of the water storage fence 12 will now be described with reference to Figures 4 to Once the location of the fence line has been clearly established and marked off, a trench is dug along the fence line as shown in Figure 4. The trench must preferably be sufficiently deep to receive the base modules therein so that the top wall portions 32 are below the surface 66 of the soil.

The base modules 10 are then consecutively lowered into the trench with the protrusion 18 of one module 10 abutting the protrusion 18 of the previous module 10. The base modules 10 are then joined by sliding a connecting post or extended connecting post 21 over the protrusions 18 of the adjacent base modules 10. This process is repeated until the full length of the fence line has been reached. In Figure 4 the soil surface has been cut-away to expose part of the side wall 22a and the top wall portion 32a of the base modules 10 and corner module 34. However in practice the side walls 22 b would not normally be visible once the base modules 10 have been installed N in the trench.

0 Z When all the base modules 10 and corner module 34 have all been installed and joined, the connecting pipes 40 are attached by means of the hose connectors 44 to the respective first and second apertures 36 and 38 in the adjoining base modules 10 as shown in Figure 4. These hose connectors 44 are preferably conventional click or snap connectors or screw connectors (which can be rapidly connected to provide fluid communication between the adjoining modules. Once the connecting pipes 40 have all been attached the N trenches can be filled in and base modules 10 covered with soil as described above.

Now that the base of the fence has been installed, a barrier forming the fence proper can be erected. The track components 52 are installed between the extended connecting posts 21 and end posts 48 on top of the base walls 30 of the base modules 10 as shown in Figure 6.

The fencing panels 50 can then be inserted between the posts 21 and 48 and on top of the track components 52 as shown in Figure 6. The track components 52 help to give the fencing panels 50 strength and rigidity and resistance to bowing when subject to side forces. The width of the track components 52 is preferably selected so that it is approximately equal to the maximum width dimension of the fencing panels Finally the fence capping 54 is attached to the top of the fencing panels 50, as shown in Figure 8, to complete the installation of the water storage fence 12.

Like the track components 52, the capping helps to give strength and rigidity to the fencing panels 50. It also improves the aesthetic appearance of the finished fence and minimises the possibility of someone cutting or injuring themselves on the sharp top edge of the fencing panels 50. Once the fence 12 has been fully installed, a downpipe may be attached to one of the base modules 10 A suitably sized aperture may be cut into the side of the base c wall 30 of one of the base modules 10, to receive the bottom end of the downpipe therein. It is desirable to plumb into the highest point from the Z guttering to ensure that the full storage capacity of the base modules 10 is (Ni c 5 utilised, since the water is typically gravity-fed from module to module via the connecting pipes O The completed water storage fence 12 is illustrated in Figure 10. It can be Sseen in Figure 10 how only the base walls 30 of the base modules 10 are visible once the trench has been filled with soil. This produces a nice clean N finish at ground level with no possibility of digging animals or soil erosion creating gaps below the fence line. If appropriate a tap can be installed to one of the base modules 10 The tap is typically attached to the base wall 30 of a base module 10 and can be used to draw water from the water storage fence 12 as required.

Now that preferred embodiments of the water storage fence have been described in detail, it will be apparent that it provides a number of advantages, including the following: It utilizes an existing structure (a fence) to store water without taking up additional yard space and is effectively hidden from view.

(ii) It facilitates the storage of precious water runoff from a house roof that can be utilised for watering the garden or possibly for drinking water.

(iii) It is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and easy to install.

(iv) It obviates the need to make a concrete footing for the fence line.

It is attractive to the home handyman as it can be marketed as a DIY product.

It will be readily apparent to persons skilled in the relevant arts that various modifications and improvements may be made to the foregoing embodiments, in addition to those already described, without departing from the basic inventive concepts of the present invention. For example, the size, shape and Sconfiguration of the base modules 10 may vary considerably from that shown o in the illustrated embodiment. Furthermore the manner in which the base Zmodules are connected so as to provide fluid communication between the modules may also vary considerably from that illustrated. Therefore, it will be appreciated that the scope of the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described. ~embodiments described.

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Claims (11)

1. 3. A water storage fence in accordance with claim 2, wherein each base module is of elongate construction and the joining means comprises elongate protrusions at each end of the base member and connecting posts adapted to receive the protrusions of adjacent base members in a sliding manner to secure the protrusions.
2. 4. A water storage fence in accordance with claim 3, wherein the connecting post is generally of H-shaped cross section defining opposing vertical slots into which are received the protrusions. A water storage fence in accordance with claim 4, wherein the outer ends of the vertical slots are narrowed and are received in vertical grooves in opposed sides of the protrusion.
3. 6. A water storage fence in accordance with any one of claims 2 to wherein a connecting means is provided for connecting the interior of adjacent base modules. S7. A water storage fence in accordance with claim 6, wherein each base O module is provided with one or more first apertures on a first longitudinal side Z thereof and the connecting means comprises one or more hollow pipes N 5 extending between the first apertures of adjacent base modules.
4. 8. A water storage fence in accordance with claim 7, wherein each base module is provided with one or more second apertures on a second (N longitudinal side thereof and the connecting means comprises one or more hollow pipes extending between the second apertures of adjacent base N modules.
5. 9. A water storage fence in accordance with claim 7, wherein a pair of first apertures are provided at opposite ends of the first longitudinal side of the base member, each of the pair of first apertures for connection to a corresponding first aperture in an adjacent base module. A water storage fence in accordance with claim 8, wherein a pair of second apertures are provided at opposite ends of the second longitudinal side of the base member, each of the pair of second apertures for connection to a corresponding second aperture in an adjacent base module.
6. 11. A water storage fence in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, wherein the support structure comprises a base wall extending along the length of the upper surface of the base module.
7. 12. A water storage fence in accordance with claim 11, wherein the base wall is integrally formed with the hollow base module.
8. 13. A water storage fence in accordance with claim 11 or 12, wherein the base wall is centrally located on the upper surface of the base module and is joined to the side walls on both sides by a respective inclined top wall portion. C 14. A water storage fence in accordance with any one of claims 3 to 13, o wherein one or more of the connecting posts are provided as extended Z connecting posts which extend above the base module for securing fencing N 5 panels. A water storage fence in accordance with claim 14, wherein end posts are provided for engaging with the protrusion of endmost base modules, the (Ni end posts extending above the ground for securing fence panels. S16. A water storage fence in accordance with claim 15, wherein vertical edges of the fencing panel are received in the vertical slots of the end posts and extended connecting posts..
9. 17. A water storage fence in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, wherein each module is of generally rectangular configuration having a substantially horizontal flat bottom, two substantially vertical side walls and two substantially vertical end walls when oriented in an upright position.
10. 18. A water storage fence in accordance with claim 17, wherein intermediate wall portions are provided between the side walls and adjacent end walls, the intermediate portions being oriented at 45 degrees to the side walls.
11. 19. A water storage fence in accordance with claim 17 or 18, wherein the side walls are provided with one or more recesses opening into a top wall portion for receiving soil and stabilising the base module when the base module is buried. c 20. A water storage fence substantially as hereinbefore described with O reference to the accompanying drawings. Garry John Buswell by his Patent Attorneys In Janet Stead Associates O t--