GB2177436A - Gazebo - Google Patents

Abstract

Uprights 10 for a gazebo are disposed in an octagonal array and connected by upper rails 12 at their tops. This framework supports a roof 56 composed of segments 58 with waterproof overlap at 60. The segments are locked in place, with soffit panels 54, by hook-shaped anchoring keys 44 whose shanks 40 engage into respective recesses or sockets 14 in the uprights 10 and have protrusions 52 which co-operate with counter- protrusions 66 on the roof segment overlaps 60. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Gazebo This invention concerns gazebos of the kind suitable for use, for example, as a free-standing structure in a garden or comparable environment.

As hitherto proposed, gazebos have generally either been in the form of a substantially permanent craftsman-built structure, or have been prefabricated in such a way that they require to be erected or installed by skilled labour. The principal reason for this lies in the fact that it is not easy to provide a turret-like or circular structure with a roof arrangement which lends itself conveniently to simple and fool-proof assembly or installation by do-it-yourself enthusiasts, and which can be assembled readily by one person only.

An object of the present invention is to provide a construction of gazebo which may consist of a plurality of prefabricated components capable of being designed and/or dimensioned to facilitate packaging for storage and transport, and in which the roof structure, and the manner of its securement, is such that it is particularly suitable for do-it-yourself assembly structures capable of being erected, for example, by one person only.

With this object in view, the present invention provides a gazebo characterised in that it comprises a framework including a plurality of uprights arranged one at each corner of a polygonal base area, a circular or polygonal roof supported by said framework and comprising a plurality of circle segments or polygon segments overlapping at their adjacent radial edges and overhanging the uprights, and, at each said upright, a respective roof anchoring key in the form of a hook-like element whose shank engages with the respective upright and whose hook part provides a gap into which the adjacent roof overhang locates thereby to anchor the roof to the framework.

Preferably the roof segments are so shaped and dimensioned that each overlap registers with a respective one of the uprights, so that the respective anchoring key serves to retain the overlapping segment parts relative to one another. Each such overlapping part may comprise a respective radial rib, these ribs interengaging to provide a waterpenetration preventing interconnection between the adjacent segments.

The uppermost segment at each overlap preferably has, adjacent the outer edge of the segment, a respective protrusion over which a counter-protrusion in the hook part of the anchoring key snaps to hold the anchoring key in place.

The upper ends of the uprights are conveniently interconnected by appropriate top rails, for instance by bolts, projecting from the ends of said rails, engaged by nuts accommodated in recesses in the respective uprights.

The roof anchor keys are preferably grooved on their opposite sides to receive the respective edges of soffit panels extending between the adjacent anchoring keys and locating with the respective top rails, for instance by locating in corresponding grooves therein.

The roof segments may, in addition be held in place by respective bolts, through the overlaps thereof, projecting with the respective recesses in the uprights and engaged by respective nuts in said recesses.

The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is an elevation illustrating a preferred embodiment of the gazebo of the invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view, with part of the roof cut away and the corresponding uprights shown in section, of the gazebo of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary and exploded detail illustrating the upper end of one of the uprights of the gazebo of Figs. 1 and 2 and the manner in which the roof and soffit panels thereof are secured in place; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view corresponding to Fig. 3, showing the soffit panels in place, by omitting the roof; Fig. 5 is a section taken, for instance as indicated at V-V in Fig. 2, and showing how the parts illustrated in Fig. 3 fit together;; Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken on the line VI--VI of Fig. 2; and Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary and exploded detail illustrating how midrails, cross struts, seat supports, legs and seating battens ofthe gazebo of Figs. 1 to 6 are assembled together.

As shown in the drawings, the preferred embodiment of the gazebo of the invention comprises a basic framework, for example of timber (or, if desired, of simulated-timber, plastic mouldings or extrusions), including eight uprights 10 symmetrically disposed one at each corner of an octagonal base area and each having an enlarged foot-piece 11. Extending between the upper ends of the adjacent pairs of said uprights 10 are substantially horizontal top rails 12 (see Figs. 3 and 4) which interconnect with the uprights 10 by studs 17 projecting from the ends of the rails 12 into recesses 14 in the uprights 10 and engaged by respective nuts 13. The outer faces of the top rails 12 each have a substantially horizontal groove 16 therein, for a purpose which will be described later.

Just less than halfway up the height of the uprights 10, six of the latter are connected' by mid rails 20 the ends of which interengage with the respective uprights again by way of respective studs 18 projecting from the mid rail end through a respective hole into a recess 19 in the upright 10 and engaged by a respective nut 21 as will be understood from Fig. 7. Similarly, near to the bottom thereof, the same six uprights 10 are connected together by bottom rails 22 which are similarly secured by studs (not visible) comparable with the studs 18. Cross struts 24 and 26 locate by their ends into respective angled niches 23 in the uprights 10 as shown in Fig. 7 and are held fast in place by respective screws 25.These struts 24, 26 together with the mid rails 20 and bottom rails 22 assure rigidity of the assembly consisting of the six relevant uprights 10, the three spaces left by the absence of mid rails and bottom rails between the two remaining uprights 10 permitting access to the base area surrounded by the framework.

Interengaged with each of the uprights 10 which have mid rails 20 and bottom rails 22 is a respective radially-inwardly-directed seat support 28 (see Fig.

7) the inner or free end of which is supported by a respective leg 30. The outer end of each such support 28 is bolted to a respective fixing plate 29 secured to the respective upright 10, by screws 31, so as to overlie and mask the recess 19 for the mid rails 20 and the corresponding recess for the bottom rail 22. These seat supports 28 serve for the support of parallel seating battens 32 providing seating around the sides of the framework except at the three open sides.

Spaced a small distance down from the top of each upright 10, at each side thereof, are respective brackets 34, and above each such bracket 34, each said upright 10 is grooved vertically, as at 36, right up to its respective top rail 12 on its said sides. As already mentioned each such upright 10 has close to its top end in register with the ends of the top rails 12 and in its outer face, a respective recess 14 (see Fig. 3). These recesses 14 are slightly tapered and each serves to receive the tapered inner end 40 of shank 42 of a respective hook-shaped anchoring key 44 which is grooved as at46 along the opposite sides of its shank 42 and has its hook 48 shaped to provide a gap 50 into which a protrusion 52 of the hook 48 projects.

The vertical grooves 36 and registering grooves 37 in the undersides of the top rails 12 serve to accommodate cantilever webs 38 which contribute both to the rigidity of the structure and its aesthetic appearance.

Soffit panels 54 (see Figs. 3 and 4) extend between the adjacent anchoring keys 44, and engage by their corresponding edges into the respective grooves 16 and 46.

A roof, indicated generally by the reference numeral 56, of the structure comprises a number of approximately triangular segments 58 of glassfibre-reinforced plastics material each of which has along each of its radially-extending edges a respective upwardly projecting rib 60 (see Fig. 3).

The assembled segments 58 together form a truncated pyramid of octagonal configuration corresponding to the plan configuration of the uprights 10, but overhanging the latter by the widths of the soffit panels 54, and then having respective downturned lips or flanges 62. Where the segments 58 overlap at their adjacent radial edges, the ribs 60 interengageto provide weatherproof joints which are secured by bolts 61 therethrough in registerwith the top end of the respective uprights 10 so as project into the corresponding recess 14 for a respective nut to be engaged therewith as shown in Fig. 5.Rigidity of the structure is contributed to by the protrusion 52 of each anchoring key 44 engaging over a corresponding nose or counter-protrusion 66 moulded integrally with the edge ribs 60 of each roof segment 58 (see particularly Figs. 3 and 5).

The apices of the roof segments 58 are very slightly truncated so that as the middle of the roof 56 is a central opening. As is shown in Fig. 6, this opening is closed by a moulded glass-fibrereinforced roof cone 66 having an integrallymoulded cross-piece 68 through which extends a hold-down bolt 70 which extends through a fastening bar or disc 72 below the roof segments 58 so that tightening of the bolt 70 ensures that the cone 66 is clamped tightly and reliably in place.

The principal advantages of the gazebo construction of the invention and as described above lie in the fact that: (a) in its dismantled condition, its components can be packed into a relatively small carton or packing case for storage and/or transportation. Thus, after production in the factory, the packaged components awaiting despatch to purchasers or distributors do not occupy a lot of space, and there is a minimum of wasted space on vehicles by which the components are delivered; and (b) the entire gazebo can easily and conveniently be assembled by a purchaser with the use of a minimum of tools, and needs no expertise to achieve a good reliably rigid and aesthetically pleasing structure. Most of the components merely interiock together, there being a few nuts and bolts to be inserted and tightened, and of course the anchor keys 44 are self-retaining, with their tapered shank ends 40 located in their sockets or recesses 14, simply by reason of their protrusions 52 snapping over the respective counter-protrusions 66 when the keys 44 are inserted in place.

Of course, the invention is not confirmed to the precise details of the foregoing example and variations may be made thereto. The manner of fixing the roof segments, the various rails, the soffit panels and so forth can vary from what has been shown, and the materials from which the components are made may be different. They need, of course, to be matched to the environmental conditions to which the gazebo is likely to be subjected in use.

Claims (10)

1.A A gazebo characterised in that it comprises a framework including a plurality of uprights arranged one at each corner of a polygonal base area, a circular or polygonal roof supported by said framework and comprising a plurality of circle segments or polygon segments overlapping at their adjacent radial edges and overhanging the uprights, and, at each said upright, a respective roof anchoring key in the form of a hook-like element whose shank engages with the respective upright and whose hook part provides a gap into which the adjacent roof overhang locates, thereby to anchor the roof to the framework.

2. A gazebo as claimed in claim 1 in which the roof segments are so shaped and dimensioned that each overlap registers with a respective one of the uprights, so that the respective anchoring key serves to retain the overlapping segment parts relative to one another.

3. A gazebo as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein each overlapping roof part comprises a respective radial rib, these ribs interengaging to provide a water-penetration preventing interconnection between the adjacent segments.

4. A gazebo as claimed in claim 1,2 or 3 in which the uppermost segment at each overlap has, adjacent the outer edge of the segment, a respective protrusion over which a counter-protrusion in the hook part of the anchoring key snaps to hold the anchoring keys in place.

5. A gazebo as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the upper ends of the uprights are interconnected by appropriate top rails.

6. A gazebo as claimed in claim 5 wherein bolts, projecting from the ends of said rails, are engaged by nuts accommodated in recesses in the respective uprights.

7. A gazebo as claimed in claim 5 or 6 wherein the roof anchor keys are grooved on their opposite sides to receive the respective edges of soffit panels extending between the adjacent anchoring keys and locating with the respective top rails.

8. A gazebo as claimed in claim 7 wherein the soffit panels locate in corresponding grooves in the top rails.

9. A gazebo as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the roof segments are held in place by respective bolts, through the overlaps thereof, projecting with the respective recesses in the uprights and engaged by respective nuts in said recesses.

10. A gazebo substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.