AU2021101001A4

AU2021101001A4 - Panels for fencing and fencing

Info

Publication number: AU2021101001A4
Application number: AU2021101001A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Jay BOND; Jason Brown
Original assignee: Decoview Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Decoview Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2021-02-23
Filing date: 2021-02-23
Publication date: 2021-04-29
Anticipated expiration: 2029-02-23

Abstract

: A screen panel for a swimming pool fence is disclosed comprising a panel support and a screen infill mounted on the support. The screen infill is formed from a 5 non-metallic material and has a plurality of apertures formed therein to enable a person to see through the screen infill while still providing an effective barrier. The plurality of apertures formed in the screen infill may be in the form of an array of apertures having a diameter of less than or equal to 10mm. The screen infill may have a thickness of 1-6mm. A swimming pool fence and a method of making 10 a screen infill for use in a panel for a swimming pool fence is also disclosed. Figure 3 2/6 10 12 12 32 32 34 34 18 32 34 34 20 16 20 16 FIGURE 3

Description

2/6

12 12

32 32 34 34 18

32

34 34

20 16 20 16

FIGURE 3

PANELS FOR FENCING AND FENCING FIELD

This invention relates generally to fencing.

In particular, this invention relates to panels for swimming pool fencing and swimming pool fencing incorporating the panels. The invention also extends to a method of manufacturing a screen infill for a panel for fencing and a method of constructing a swimming pool fence.

DEFINITION

In the specification and claims, the term "comprising" shall be understood to have a broad meaning similar to the term "including" and will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps but not the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps. This definition also applies to variations on the term "comprising" such as "comprise" and "comprises".

BACKGROUND

A swimming pool fence is a fence that is placed around an area containing a swimming pool to create a barrier to restrict the access of animals and small children to the swimming pool. Swimming pool fences are designed so that young children cannot climb over them or find a way to get through them. They are manufactured to be sturdy and durable and resist being climbed which makes them fit for their intended purpose. Each country typically has strict standards for swimming pool fences and additionally there are also International Code Council (ICC) guidelines for swimming pool fences.

Applicant is aware of a type of pool fencing in the prior art known as flat top fencing. This fencing is shown in Figure 1 in the drawings and comprises a series of closely spaced vertical members that are joined at their top and bottom by two horizontal extending rails. The flat top members have sufficient height to resist a child from climbing over the fence and the vertical members (balusters) are sufficiently closely spaced to resist a small child from passing there through, i.e. squeezing between adjacent vertical members.

One disadvantage of flat top fencing is that an adept small child could climb up and over a panel of this type by using their toes to grip the upright balusters and then jimmy up and over the panel.

Another disadvantage is that it is unsightly and detracts from the aesthetics of a pool area. It also obstructs a person's view to some extent because people do not look through the pool fence. They tend to look at the fence.

Applicant is also aware of pool fencing made from glass panels and one example of glass pool fencing is shown in Figure 2. This type of fencing does not block the view through the fencing to the pool and is more aesthetically pleasing than the flat top fencing shown in Figure 1. However, it still has some drawbacks.

One drawback is that dirt marks on the glass panels are very visible and easy to see and they are unsightly. Thus, the glass needs to be cleaned frequently to keep it looking fresh and clean. Regularly cleaning the glass fencing is very time consuming. Yet another drawback is that glass panels form a solid barrier that is a barrier to air flow thus preventing wind and breezes blowing through the fence. It is preferable to obtain air circulation in a pool area particularly if it is a confined space. Another shortcoming of these fences is that glass is brittle and will break if it is subjected to a sufficiently large impact. Conceivably this could happen if a child or animal collides with a glass panel or an object strikes the panel. Another problem with glass panels is that they are prone to spontaneously explode at times which creates a potential safety issue, particularly if children are nearby when this occurs. It would be advantageous if a pool fence could be provided that was able to yield resiliently to some extent to absorb collisions and that resisted exploding.

The reference to prior art in the background above is not and should not be taken as an acknowledgment or any form of suggestion that the referenced prior art forms part of the common general knowledge in Australia or in any other country.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Applicant recognizes that it would be beneficial if a fence could be provided for a swimming pool that ameliorated at least some of the drawbacks identified above.

According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a screen panel, e.g. for a swimming pool fence, comprising a panel support and a screen infill mounted on the support, wherein the screen infill is formed from a non-metallic material and has a plurality of apertures formed therein to enable a person to see through the screen infill while still providing an effective barrier.

The plurality of apertures formed in the screen infill may be in the form of an array of apertures.

The array of apertures on the screen infill may be configured to permit a person to be able to see through the screen infill. That is, the ratio of the surface area of the apertures to solid material across the surface of the screen infill is sufficient to enable a person to see through the screen infill.

The apertures may have a diameter of less than or equal to 10mm, i.e. not more than 10mm, so that a child cannot climb up the panel by placing their toes in the apertures in the screen infill. That is, the apertures need to be small enough to resist a child from inserting their toes therein.

The screen infill may have a thickness of 1.0-6.0mm. In one embodiment, the screen infill may have a thickness of 2.5-5.0mm, e.g. 3-4.5mm. The screen infill should be sufficiently thick to provide the requisite mechanical strength to serve as a barrier resisting unauthorized access to a pool area.

The screen infill may be formed from a synthetic manufactured material and in particular the screen infill may be formed from a polymeric material.

The polymeric material may be one or more of the following polymers: polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene including HDPE and LDPE, polyurethane, ethyl vinyl acetate, polypropylene, polystyrene and/or ABS polymers. It is to be understood that other polymeric materials other than those listed could also be used.

Further, the screen infill may also optionally be made of a composite material, e.g. carbon fibre material.

The panel support for the fence panel may extend at least part of the way around a perimeter of the screen infill.

In one form, the support may comprise a perimeter frame extending around the full perimeter of the screen infill.

The perimeter frame may comprise four substantially linear frame members and the frame members may be made of a metallic material.

Optionally, the frame members may comprise an extrusion defining a channel within which a peripheral edge region of the screen infill is received.

The screen infill may be secured to the frame member by fastening elements at spaced intervals along the length of the frame members.

The fastening elements may be screws. Instead the fastening elements may be rivets. In particular, the screws may be made of stainless steel and the rivets may be made of aluminium.

The perimeter frame may include a cover member, e.g. a clip, mounted over each frame member and the peripheral edge region of the attached screen infill to cover the attachment of the screen infill to the frame member.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a fence, e.g. a swimming pool fence, defining a fence line, comprising: a fence support; and a non-metallic screen infill mounted on the fence support forming a substantially planar barrier that extends along the fence line, the screen infill having a plurality of apertures formed therein to enable a person to see through the screen infill.

The fence support may comprise a plurality of fence posts spaced along the fence line.

The plurality of apertures formed in the screen infill may be in the form of an array of apertures, e.g. a rectangular or hexagonal array of apertures.

The apertures may have a diameter of less than or equal to 10mm, i.e. not more than 10mm, so that a child cannot climb up the panel by placing their toes in the apertures in the screen infill.

The screen infill may be formed from a synthetic manufactured material and in particular the screen infill may be infill may be formed from a polymeric material.

The polymeric material may be formed from one or more of the following polymers: polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene including HDPE and LDPE, polyurethane, ethyl vinyl acetate, polypropylene, polystyrene and/or ABS polymers.

The screen infill may also optionally be made of a composite material, e.g. carbon fibre material.

The pool fence may comprise a plurality of panels arranged in series along the fence line and the fence posts may be positioned between adjacent panels arranged in a line extending along the fence line.

The screen infill may extend across each of the plurality of panels to form the barrier provided by the pool fence.

The panels of the fence and the screen infill may include any one or more of the features of the panels and/or screen infill defined in any one of the preceding aspects of the invention.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of making a screen infill for use in swimming pool fencing, the method including: providing a blank sheet of non-metallic material having a thickness of 1-6mm, and punching an array of apertures in the sheet material to produce a punched sheet, each aperture having a diameter of 10mm or less, and cutting the punched sheet with its array of apertures to a certain length, whereby to provide a screen infill member sized and configured for use in a panel for a pool fence.

Said providing a blank sheet may include providing a sheet having a width of 1.1-1.2m, e.g.200mm-3m and a sheet having a thickness of 2.5-6.0mm, e.g. 3.5-4.5mm.

Said providing a sheet may include providing a sheet of polymeric material, e.g. one or more of the following polymers: polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene including HDPE and LDPE, polyurethane, ethyl vinyl acetate, polypropylene, polystyrene and/or ABS polymers.

Said punching an array of apertures in the sheet material may include punching the apertures using a hydraulic punch having a die configured to produce the array of apertures formed in the sheet, e.g. with a single punching action.

Said cutting the punched sheet may include cutting the punched sheet with a hydraulically operated tool die configured to punch the array of apertures in the sheet with a single action.

The screen infill may include any one or more of the features of the panels and/or screen infill defined in a preceding aspect of the invention.

According to yet another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of constructing a pool fence, the method including: providing a non-metallic screen infill that is cut to a suitable length or size; mounting the screen infill members on frame members to form a fence panel; and mounting the fence panel to adjacent fence posts mounted on a support surface, and repeating the process to form a pool fence.

The screen infill may be manufactured in the manner defined in the preceding aspect of the disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

A pool fence or pool fencing in accordance with this disclosure may manifest itself in a variety of forms. It will be convenient to hereinafter describe several embodiments of the disclosure in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The purpose of providing this detailed description is to instruct persons having an interest in the subject matter of the invention how to carry the disclosure into practical effect. However, it is to be clearly understood that the specific nature of this detailed description does not supersede the generality of the preceding broad description. In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a flat top pool fence known in the prior art;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a glass pool fence known in the prior art;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a pool fence having adjacent fence panels in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of part of one of the fence panels shown in Figure 3 with some detail removed for clarity;

Figure 5 is another perspective view of part of one of the fence panels shown in Figure 3 with some further details removed for clarity;

Figure 6 is a front view of the screen infill for the pool fencing in Figure 3 showing the array of apertures; and

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a pool fence having adjacent panels in accordance with another embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Figures 1 and 2 illustrated prior art pool fencing that has been described in the background section above. Accordingly, these drawings will not be discussed further in this detailed description.

Figure 3 illustrates a section of pool fencing 10 in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.

The pool fencing 10 comprises a plurality of fence panels 12 mounted on fence posts 16 and extending along a fence line.

Each fence panel 12 comprises a perimeter frame 18 and a screen infill 20 extending across the panel 12 within the perimeter frame 18. Thus, the screen infill 20 extends across each of the fence panels 12 which extend along the fence line.

The fence posts 16 are located at spaced intervals along the fence line, each fence post 16 being positioned between adjacent fence panels in a general arrangement that is known in the prior art. The fence posts 16 support the fence panels 12 in a vertically extending orientation with sufficient mechanical strength to render them fit for purpose as a barrier to human entry.

The screen infill 20 has an array of apertures 24 formed therein which are sized and configured to enable a person to see through the screen infill 20. That is, the ratio of the surface area of the apertures 24 to solid material across a surface of the screen infill 20 is sufficient to enable a person to see through the screen infill 20. Figure 6 illustrates in greater detail the rectangular array of openings defined in the screen infill 20. This provides a visual indication of the extent of the surface area covered by infill material compared to the surface area that is a void across the surface of the screen infill.

The screen infill 20 is made of a non-metallic material that is a polymeric material. In particular, the screen infill 20 may be made from one or more of the following polymeric materials: polyethylene, polyurethane, polypropylene, polyvinylchloride or ABS polymers. The screen infill may have a thickness of 1.0-6mm.

In one example embodiment the screen infill is made of a sheet of polyvinyl chloride having a thickness of 2.5-5mm. This material confers sufficient mechanical strength on the screen infill while keeping the quantity of polymeric material used to make the screen infill at economic levels.

The perimeter frame 18 of each fence panel 12 comprises two side frame members 32 and top and bottom members 34 arranged in a rectangular form.

In the Figure 3 embodiment, the side frame members 32 butt up against their adjacent fence posts 10 and there is no space between the fence post 16 and the adjacent side members 32 of the perimeter frame 18.

Figures 4 and 5 show in some detail showing how the fence panels 12 are assembled from the frame members 32, 34 and the screen infill 20.

Each frame member 32, 34 comprises an extrusion 40 defining a channel 42 within which a peripheral edge region of the screen infill 20 is received as shown in the drawings. The frame members 32, 34 further comprise a cover member, e.g. a clip 44, mounted over the extrusion 40 with the screen infill 20 fixed to the extrusion 40.

The screen infill 20 is secured to the extrusion 42 of the associated frame member 32, 34 by fastening elements that are screws 46 that pass through the screen infill 20 and then into the extrusion 40 to secure the screen infill 20 to the frame member. Applicant has found that using screws 46, and in particular stainless steel screws, confers some working advantages. Instead other fastening elements such as rivets may be used. The use of stainlees steel or aluminium fastening elements confers some advantages due to their corrosion resistance properties, e.g. when working with polymeric screen infills.

A cover member such as a clip 44 is then mounted to the extrusion 40 over the face of the peripheral edge region of the screen infill 20. The clip 44 covers the heads of the screws 46 that fasten the infill 20 to the extrusion 40 and provides a neat face for the assembled panel. The clip 44 is configured to clip releasably onto clip formations on the extrusion 42 whereby to enable it to be easily fitted to the extrusion as required (and also to be removed).

Figure 7 illustrates a pool fence in accordance with another embodiment of the invention.

The pool fence in Figure 7 has many similarities with the embodiment in Figure 3 and thus the following description will focus on the differences between this embodiment and the Figure 3 embodiment. Further, unless otherwise indicated, the same reference numerals will be used to refer to the same components.

The panel in Figure 7 has vertically extending side frame members 32 on each side of the fence panel 12 that are spaced away from the adjacent support post 16.

Each fence panel 12 has a perimeter frame 18 that is separate from the fence post 16 and is spaced apart from the adjacent fence posts 16 that support it in the vertically extending orientation.

As with Figure 3, each frame member 32, 34 of the perimeter frame 18 is formed of an extrusion 40 defining a channel 42 within which a peripheral edge region of the screen infill 20 is received. The screen infill 20 is secured to the extrusion 42 by fastening elements which are screws 46, e.g. stainless steel screws, at spaced intervals along its length that pass through the screen infill 20 and into the extrusion 40. Instead the fastening elements may be rivets, e.g. aluminium rivets.

Other than that, the structure and function of the fence in Figure 7 is much like that in Figure 3. It is just a different style of pool fence.

An advantage of the fence panels and pool fencing described above in the detailed description with reference to the drawings is that one can see through the fence providing a good view of a pool area from outside the pool area. It also allows air movement through the screen infill and allows breezes to blow through the fencing. Yet another advantage of the pool fencing described in the detailed description is that it generally looks clean and does not require much cleaning maintenance when compared with glass pool fencing. Yet another advantage of having a polymeric screen infill that is polymeric and non-metallic is that it does not rust over time.

Yet another advantage of the pool fencing described above in the embodiments described in the detailed description is that the use of a polymeric infill reduces the issues of galvanic corrosion caused by metallic screws or rivets being used to fasten the screen infill to the frame members.

Another advantage is that the screen infill made of polymeric material can be manufactured from sheet polymeric material cost effectively and therefore the pool fencing can be manufactured and supplied at a reasonable cost.

It will of course be realized that the above has been given only by way of illustrative example of the invention and that all such modifications and variations thereto, as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art, are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of the invention as is herein set forth.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A screen panel for a swimming pool fence, comprising a panel support and a screen infill mounted on the support, wherein the screen infill is formed from a non-metallic material and has a plurality of apertures formed therein to enable a person to see through the screen infill while still providing an effective barrier.

2. A screen panel for a swimming pool fence according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of apertures formed in the screen infill may be in the form of an array of apertures, and the apertures have a diameter of less than or equal to 10mm, and the screen infill has a thickness of 1-6mm.

3. A screen panel for a swimming pool fence according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the screen infill is formed from a polymeric material including one or more of the following polymers: polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene including HDPE and LDPE, ethyl vinyl acetate, polypropylene, polystyrene and/or ABS polymers, and the screen infill has a thickness of 1.0-6.0 mm.

4. A screen panel for a swimming pool fence according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the support comprises a perimeter frame having four frame members extending around the perimeter of the screen infill, and each frame member comprises an extrusion defining a channel within which a peripheral edge region of the screen infill is received, and the screen infill is fixed to the extrusion by means of a plurality of fastening elements which pass through the screen infill and into the extrusion.

5. A method of making a screen infill for use in a panel for a swimming pool fence, the method including: providing a blank sheet of non-metallic material having a thickness of 1-6mm; punching an array of apertures in the sheet material to produce a punched sheet, each aperture having a diameter of 10mm or less; and cutting the punched sheet with its array of apertures to a certain length and/or height, whereby to provide a screen infill member sized and configured for use in the panel.