FR3081898A1 - OCCULTATION ASSEMBLY FOR RIGID MESH FENCE - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a concealment assembly for a rigid wire fence comprising a plurality of parallel vertical wires (17) and a plurality of parallel horizontal wires (16, 18, 20, 22), the horizontal wires (16, 18, 20 , 22) being respectively welded to the vertical wires (17), said concealment assembly comprising a plurality of longitudinal concealment blades (12) made of polymer material, each of said blades (12) having two opposite faces (40, 42) and a stop portion (44) projecting from one (42) of said faces, said longitudinal concealment blades (12) being adapted to be respectively engaged between the vertical wires (17) to be held in abutment against said horizontal wires (16, 18, 20, 22) so that said stop portion (42) is supported on one of said horizontal wires (16). Said one of said opposite faces (42) has a bulge forming said stop portion (44).

Description

Blackout set for rigid wire fence

The present invention relates to a concealment assembly for occulting the meshes of rigid wire fences.

Rigid wire fences include a plurality of vertical metallic wires parallel to each other and spaced apart from each other, and a plurality of horizontal metallic wires parallel to each other, and also spaced apart from each other, the horizontal wires and the vertical wires being welded between them at their intersection. The vertical and horizontal wires thus crossed form a grid with openwork meshes. Also, the fences include vertical posts regularly spaced from each other and between which the mesh is extended. It is common in peri-urban areas for residential houses to be surrounded by a rigid chain-link fence and for open mesh to be covered with blackout slats to protect the fenced space from outside view.

Thus, it has been imagined to install plastic blinds between the vertical wires of the chain-link fence over the entire height of the fence. The vertical wires are in fact spaced from each other by the same pitch and by installing blackout blades of a width corresponding to this same pitch between each pair of contiguous vertical wires, a blackout fence is formed.

Also, the masking blades have a length equivalent to that of the height of the chainlink fence and their two ends are respectively maintained in the upper and lower edges of the fence by means of U-shaped profiles forming a clamp. In addition, and in order to prevent the occultation blades from sliding under the effect of gravity between the vertical wires, each of the occultation blades has a tongue cut out from the wall of the blade to form a hook coming in taken in one of the horizontal wires. In this way, the concealment blades remain in a fixed position in a vertical direction even if the U-shaped sections no longer fulfill their function, or poorly their function. Reference may be made to document FR 2 945 064 B1, which describes such masking blades.

However, the cutting of a tongue in the masking blades creates crack initiators, which are detrimental to the longevity of the blades. In addition, the vertical adjustment of the blades depends on the deformation of the tongue and therefore, it is difficult to adjust them to the same height.

Also, a problem which arises and which the present invention aims to solve is to provide a concealment assembly, which not only has a longer life than that of the concealment assemblies according to the prior art but also which are easier to implement.

For this purpose, a concealment assembly is proposed for a rigid wire fence, said rigid wire fence comprising a plurality of parallel vertical wires spaced from each other by a first pitch and a plurality of parallel horizontal wires spaced from each other. a second step, the wires of said plurality of horizontal wires being respectively welded to the wires of said plurality of vertical wires, said concealment assembly comprising a plurality of longitudinal concealment blades of polymer material, each of said blades having two faces opposite and a stop portion projecting from one of said faces, said longitudinal concealment blades being adapted to be respectively engaged between the vertical wires to be held in abutment against said horizontal wires so that said portion '' stop take support on one of said horizontal wires to prohibit the movement of said masking blades in the direction of said vertical wires. Said one of said opposite faces has a bulge forming said stop portion.

Thus, a characteristic of the invention lies in the implementation of a bulge to form the stop portion and no longer of a cut tongue. The bulge here forms a shoulder. The concealment blade is thus held in abutment against the horizontal wires and the bulge comes to adjust above one of the horizontal wires against which it bears. In this way, the concealment blade is held in a fixed position in a vertical direction oriented towards the ground. Consequently, we are free from the crack initiators and in the medium or long term, from the separation of the masking blades from the fence.

In addition, and according to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, said bulge extends in a transverse direction of said blade. In this way, the bearing surface on the horizontal wire is longer and it thus allows better locking in translation. Also, and preferably, said one of said opposite faces has another bulge spaced from said one bulge in a longitudinal direction of said blade. The two bulges are spaced from each other in a longitudinal direction of the blocking blade, by a distance substantially equivalent to the diameter of the horizontal wires so that one of the horizontal wires comes to engage between the two bulges when the blackout blade is installed between two vertical wires. In this way, and as will be explained in more detail below, the blocking blade is held in translation in the direction of the vertical wires, in the two opposite directions. Such a possibility does not exist with the occultation blades according to the prior art or the tongue limits the translation of the occultation blades only towards the ground.

In addition, said mesh fence having a V-fold oriented in a direction parallel to said horizontal wires, said concealment assembly furthermore comprises, in a particularly advantageous manner, a W-shaped cross member adapted to be engaged in said V-fold to maintain said blades pressing against said horizontal wires. The W-shaped profile has dimensions similar to those of the V-fold. Thus, we first engage the W-profile in the V-fold, then we come to engage the blackout blades longitudinally between the horizontal wires and the edge of the free wings of the W-shaped profile. The latter thus makes it possible to maintain the concealment blades against the horizontal wires. And therefore, the bulge remains in vertical support on the corresponding horizontal wire. It will be observed that the V-fold also increases the rigidity of the chain-link fence.

In addition, said wire fence having a border parallel to said horizontal wires, while said blades have one end extending into said horizontal border, said concealment assembly further comprises, and according to an advantageous embodiment, a profile in

U adapted to pinch together said end of said blades and said horizontal border. In this way, the concealment blades are held in abutment against the horizontal wires and hence, the bulge is in abutment on one of these horizontal wires. And therefore, the shading blades are held in a fixed position vertically.

Preferably, said U-shaped section has a flat wing and an opposite wing having a free edge curved towards said flat wing, said free edge being extended by a free curved edge opposite to said flat wing. Thus, the U-profile is installed astride the horizontal edge of the chain-link fence and on the end of the blackout blades. The flat wing is supported on the opposite face of the occultation blade, while the other wing is applied against the bulge and the horizontal wire on which it is supported. The curved free edge makes it possible to join the U-shaped profile and the concealment blade. As for the curved free edge, it facilitates assembly as will be explained below.

According to a particularly advantageous variant, each of said masking blades has a central wall and two lateral boxes opposite one another relative to said central wall. The two side boxes allow to increase the rigidity of the blackout blade. Also, they make it possible to provide the occulting blade with a possibility of elastic compression favorable to its wedging between the horizontal wires and the W-shaped profile as will be explained below.

Also, said bulge is formed in said central wall. This allows a good balance for the maintenance of the concealment blade between two consecutive vertical wires.

Furthermore, said blocking blade is extruded through a die, while said bulge is produced by hot stamping downstream of said die. In this way, the bulge is produced by locally deforming the masking blades at the outlet of the die. Consequently, such a manufacturing method does not involve any additional raw material costs. In addition, by carrying out this local hot deformation, no mechanical stress remains in the blocking blade.

Preferably, said blocking blade is extruded from poly (vinyl chloride). For example, poly (vinyl chloride) comes from a recycling industry.

Other particularities and advantages of the invention will emerge on reading the description given below of a particular embodiment of the invention, given by way of indication but not limitation, with reference to the appended drawings in which:

- Figure 1 is a partial rear schematic perspective view of the object of the invention installed on a fence;

- Figure 2 is a partial schematic front view of the fence illustrated in Figure 1;

- Figure 3A is a partial rear schematic view of the object of the invention shown in Figure 1;

- Figure 3B is a partial schematic sectional view along the plane IIIB - IIIB of the object of the invention shown in Figure 3A;

- Figure 3C is a partial schematic sectional view along the HIC - HIC plane of the object of the invention shown in Figure 3A;

- Figure 4 is a schematic view in cross section of an element shown in Figure 1; and,

- Figure 5 is a schematic view in cross section of an additional element adapted to be installed on the object of Figure 1.

Figure 1 shows in perspective and partially, the upper part of a rigid wire fence 10 through which is installed a single blackout blade 12 and a cross section profiled in W 14. The blackout blade 12 has a free upper end 13. As will be explained below, both the cross section in W 14 and the concealment blade 12 are preferably extruded in polyvinyl chloride or PVC.

We find in Figure 2 the only mesh of the rigid wire fence 10 front view. Also, the mesh has a plurality of vertical wires 17 spaced apart by the same first pitch, for example 55 mm, and four horizontal wires, a first 16 in an upper edge 15 of the fence 10, a second 18, a third 20 and a fourth 22, spaced by the same second pitch, for example 100 mm. Of course, the mesh may have a height greater than 1 m and therefore, it comprises a plurality of horizontal wires while the vertical wires extend over said length.

The vertical 17 and horizontal wires 16, 18, 20, 22 cross at a crossing 24 and they are welded together at this crossing 24. In addition, the mesh has a V-fold 26 at the second wire horizontal 18 and parallel to it. It will be observed that the second horizontal wire 18 is installed inside the V-fold 26. This V-fold 26 defines the envelope of a housing of substantially triangular section 28 inside which is then installed the profiled cross member at W 14 shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 shows in cross section the cross section profiled in W 14. It has two opposite main wings symmetrical to each other 30, 32 relative to a median plane Pm. The middle part of the crosspiece 14 where the two main wings meet 30, 32 has a semi-cylindrical housing 34 allowing the passage of the second horizontal wire 18 illustrated in Figure 2. It will be observed that the two main wings 30, 32 have two edges free opposites 36, 38 and that they are inclined relative to each other by an angle close to that of the V-fold 26. Also, their width is such that their free edge 36, 38 comes substantially flush with the plane defined by the first and third horizontal wires 16, 20.

Thus, as illustrated in FIG. 1, after the profiled cross member in W 14 has been inserted inside the housing 28, while maintaining it, the concealing blade 12 is engaged, between two contiguous vertical wires 17 d on the one hand, and between the first 16 and third 20 horizontal wires and the cross member profiled in W 14.

The occultation blade 12 has a front face 40 which then presses against the two opposite free edges 36, 38 of the cross member profiled in W 14, and a rear face 42 which presses against the first 16 and third 20 horizontal wires. The occulting blade 12 has a length equal to that of the mesh and therefore it comes to bear against all of the horizontal wires thereof, as soon as its free upper end 13 is brought to the level of the upper edge 15 of the fence 10. When the height of the mesh is large, it has another V-fold not shown, and inside which is engaged another cross section shaped in W adapted to also retain the occultation sheet 12. It will be observed that the V-fold increases the rigidity of the mesh.

The concealment blade 12 has on its rear face 42 in the vicinity of its upper end 13 two contiguous bulges, one upper 44, the other lower 46 extending transversely one above the other. The first horizontal wire 16 is then engaged between the two bulges 44, 46. These bulges 44, 46 will thus be described with reference to FIGS. 3A-3C.

We find in Figure 3A and partially, the concealment blade 12 extended between the two vertical wires 17 and behind the first horizontal wire

16. Thus, its free upper end 13 extends at the level of the upper edge 15 of the fence 10, while the two bulges 44, 46 are astride the first horizontal wire 16. The occultation blade 12 has a width L substantially equal to the first spacing pitch between the vertical wires 17, apart from the functional clearance. In this way the masking blades 12 extend in all the free spaces located between the vertical wires 17.

As illustrated in FIG. 3B, the two bulges 44, 46 spaced from one another in a longitudinal direction of the concealing blade 12 define a semi-cylindrical space 48, inside which and by shape cooperation, the first horizontal wire 16 is engaged. Thus, thanks to the profiled cross member in W 14 which bears against the front face 40 of the occultation blade 12 by exerting a force F, on the occultation blade 12, the latter is in turn held in abutment against the horizontal wires, and in particular the first horizontal wire 16. In this way, the blocking blade 12 is held in a fixed position in the vertical direction V thanks to the two bulges 44, 46 which then form stop portions. It will be observed that the two bulges 44, 46 form two stop portions enabling the blocking blade to be blocked in translation vertically in the two opposite directions.

Found in FIG. 3C seen from above, the concealment blade 12 comprised between, on the one hand the two vertical wires 17 and on the other hand between the cross section profiled in W 14 and the first horizontal wire 16. We also find the upper bulge 44 resting vertically on the first horizontal wire to retain the shading blade 12 in translation. Also, in this FIG. 3C, it will be observed that the occultation blade 12 has a central wall 50 connecting, forming a bridge, two opposite caissons 52, 54 and symmetrical to one another with respect to the central wall 50. The two opposite boxes 52, 54 respectively have two internal partitions, one proximal 56, the other distal 58. These two internal partitions 56, 58 make it possible to give more rigidity to the two opposite boxes 52, 54. However, the two boxes 52, 54 of the occultation blade 12 has a certain compressibility and therefore they compress substantially at the level of the support of the two opposite free edges 36, 38 of the cross section profiled in W 14 against the front face 40. This compression also makes it possible to increase the frictional forces between the occultation blade 12 and the cross member profiled in W 14, and therefore contributes to maintaining the occultation blade 12 in a fixed position. Furthermore, the occultation blades 12 present also Lely a compressibility along its width of the blades so as to be able to apply as closely as possible between the vertical wires and to follow their possible irregularities in parallelism.

Furthermore, blanking blades 12 are engaged between the vertical wires of each of the contiguous pairs of vertical wires 17 to completely obscure the meshes of the rigid wire fence 10.

Also, it will be observed that the two bulges 44, 46 are formed in the rear face 42 at the level of the central wall 50 for reasons which will be explained below.

In fact, the masking blades are continuously extruded through a die and are then cut on the fly, so that they can be produced at a very advantageous cost. Also, the two bulges 44, 46 are also produced on the fly downstream of the die and before the blade cools. To do this, a movable impression is provided in translation according to the movement of the extruded blade which comes to extend between the two boxes. And on the other hand, a punch is also mobile in translation parallel and opposite the impression, on the one hand, and also, is mobile in translation towards the impression on the other hand, in order to be able to deform the wall when hot central 50 and form the two bulges 44, 46 without interrupting the extrusion. After the two bulges have been made, the impression and the punch move away from each other and are drawn back towards the die so that two new bulges can be produced on the fly.

Reference will now be made to FIG. 5 showing in cross section, a U-shaped section 60 making it possible to cover the upper edge 15 of the fence 10 and the free upper end 13 of the blocking blade 12.

Thus, the U-shaped section 60 has a flat wing 62 and an opposite W wing 64. The latter has a free edge 66 folded towards the flat wing 62 and it ends in a curved edge 68 opposite the flat wing 62. The flat wing has a free edge 72 forming with the curved edge 68 an entry inside the U-shaped profile 60. The U-shaped profile 60 thus defines an internal free space 70 inside which will be able extend the upper edge 15 and the free upper end 13 of the blocking blade

12. To do this, the U-shaped profile 60 is carried in line with the rigid mesh fence 10 and the concealment blades 12 so that the planar wing 62 is carried towards the front face 40 of the blade. occultation 12, while the wing in W 64 is carried towards the rear face 42. The U-profile 60 is thus first of all adjusted so that the free end of the vertical rods engages between the edge free 72 of the flat wing 62 and the curved edge 68 of the wing in W 64. Then, applying pressure from top to bottom on the U-shaped section 60, the flat wing 62 and the wing in W 64 move away from each other. The upper bulge 44 then forms a ramp with respect to the curved edge 68 and guides it so that the free edge 66 of the wing W 64 comes to bear against the lower bulge 46 while the free end of the vertical wires 17 bears against the bottom of the U-shaped profile 60. The U-shaped profile 60 is thus completely integral with the upper edge 15 and the free end 13 of the shutter blade 12.

Claims (10)

1. Blackout assembly for a rigid wire fence, said rigid wire fence (10) comprising a plurality of vertical vertical wires (17) spaced apart from each other by a first pitch and a plurality of horizontal wires (16, 18, 20 , 22) parallel spaced from each other by a second pitch, the wires (16, 18, 20, 22) of said plurality of horizontal wires being respectively welded to the wires (17) of said plurality of vertical wires, said assembly of concealment comprising a plurality of longitudinal concealment blades (12) made of polymer material, each of said blades (12) having two opposite faces (40, 42) and a stop portion (44) projecting from the one (42) of said faces, said longitudinal concealment blades (12) being adapted to be respectively engaged between the vertical wires (17) to be held in abutment against said horizontal wires (16, 18, 20, 22) so that said portion of stop (42) bears on one of said horizontal son (16) for inhibiting movement of said occultation slats (12) in the direction of said vertical son (17); characterized in that said one of said opposite faces (42) has a bulge forming said stop portion (44). 2. occultation assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that said bulge (44) extends in a transverse direction of said occultation blade (12). 3. occultation assembly according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said one of said opposite faces (42) has another bulge (46) spaced from said a bulge (44) in a longitudinal direction of said occultation blade ( 12). 4. Blackout assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, said mesh fence (10) having a V-fold (26) oriented in a direction parallel to said horizontal son (16, 18, 20 , 22), said concealment assembly further comprises a W-shaped cross member (14) adapted to be engaged in said V-fold (26) to hold said blades (12) in abutment against said horizontal wires (16, 18, 20, 22). 5. Blackout assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, said mesh fence (10) having an edge (15) parallel to said horizontal son (16, 18, 20, 22), while said blades (12) have one end (13) extending in said horizontal edge (15), said concealment assembly further comprises a U-shaped section (60) adapted to pinch together said end (13) of said blades (12) and said horizontal border (15). 6. Blackout assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that said U-shaped section (60) has a flat wing (62) and an opposite wing (64) having a free edge (66) curved towards said flat wing (62 ), said free edge (66) being extended by a free edge (68) curved opposite said flat wing (62). 7. occultation assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, each of said occultation blades (12) has a central wall (50) and two lateral boxes (52, 54) opposite the one from the other with respect to said central wall (50). 8. Shading assembly according to claim 7, characterized in that said bulge (44) is formed in said central wall (50). 9. occultation assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that said occultation blade (12) is extradited through a die, while said bulge (44) is produced by hot stamping in downstream of said sector. 10. Blackout assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that said blackout blade (12) is extruded in poly (vinyl chloride).