JP7841948B2 - Fence mounting structure - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a fence mounting structure comprising a rail member constituting a part of a fence and a support post that supports the rail member.

As a type of fence installed at the boundary between land or a plot and the outside, privacy fences using plate-like panels and battens are known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a fence in which the fence body is composed of multiple slats. More specifically, Patent Document 1 discloses a fence in which multiple slats are fitted between a pair of posts formed on a support post. Furthermore, in this fence, when fitting the slats onto the support post, spacers are interposed between adjacent slats, thereby maintaining a constant gap between the slats.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 2001-295510

Incidentally, Patent Document 1 discloses, for example, a fence in which the thickness of the end of the slat is approximately the same as the opening width of the groove in the support post, as a first embodiment. However, with the fence disclosed in Patent Document 1, only slats with end thicknesses equal to the opening width of the groove in the support post could be installed.

Furthermore, Patent Document 1 discloses another fence in which the finials are arranged at a predetermined angle from the vertical within the width of the groove of the support post via a spacer. However, in this other fence, the front lower end and the rear upper end of the finials are in line contact with the bent portion of the support post. Therefore, the attachment of the finials to the support post is not sufficiently stable.

The objective of this invention is to provide a fence mounting structure that allows for the secure attachment of a support post to a crossbar member having an end thickness smaller than the opening width of the groove in the support post, while simultaneously positioning the crossbar member.

A fence mounting structure according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention is a fence mounting structure in which, for a plurality of horizontal rail members constituting a part of a fence and extending horizontally, at least one or more first rail members are supported by a vertically extending support post using a mounting device. The support post has a groove extending vertically, and the mounting device has a main body inserted into the groove and an opening in the main body into which the horizontal end of the first rail member can be inserted. When the mounting device is inserted into the groove, the mounting device is positioned between the horizontal end of the first rail member and the side surface of the groove, thereby positioning the horizontal end of the first rail member in the width direction of the groove.

In the above-described embodiment, a first crossbar member having a horizontal end with a thickness smaller than the opening width of the groove in the support column can be positioned in the groove of the support column by a mounting device, while being positioned in the width direction of the groove.

Therefore, the first crossbar member, which has a horizontal end with a thickness smaller than the opening width of the groove in the support column, can be attached to the support column more securely while positioned, in addition to having a crossbar member with a thickness matching the opening width of the groove in the support column.

A fence mounting structure according to aspect 2 of the present invention is a fence mounting structure in which, of a plurality of horizontally extending rail members constituting a part of a fence, at least one first rail member's horizontal end is supported on a vertically extending support post using a mounting device, and the remaining second rail member's horizontal end is supported on a vertically extending support post without using the mounting device, wherein the support post has a groove portion provided to extend vertically, and the mounting device has a main body portion inserted into the groove portion and an opening provided in the main body portion so as to be insertable into the horizontal end of the first rail member, and in a state in which the mounting device is inserted into the groove portion, the mounting device is positioned between the horizontal end of the first rail member and the side surface of the groove portion, thereby positioning the horizontal end of the first rail member in the width direction of the groove portion.

In the above-described embodiment, the horizontal end of the second rail member is inserted into the groove of the support post without using a mounting fixture. This allows a portion of the fence to be constructed using both the first rail member, which is positioned in the groove using a mounting fixture, and the second rail member, which is inserted into the groove without a mounting fixture. Therefore, a fence with a more aesthetically pleasing design can be constructed.

The fence mounting structure according to aspect 3 of the present invention is a fence mounting structure according to aspect 1 or aspect 2, wherein the groove of the support post has a width dimension greater than the opening width of the groove and has an internal space capable of accommodating the main body of the mounting fixture, and the main body of the mounting fixture has a protruding portion that protrudes from the main body so as to be located within the opening of the groove.

In the above-described embodiment, the protruding portion of the mounting fixture can restrict the movement of the main body of the mounting fixture in the groove width direction within the groove. Therefore, the positioning accuracy of the first support member in the groove of the support column is improved.

A fence mounting structure according to aspect 4 of the present invention is a fence mounting structure according to aspect 1 or aspect 2, wherein the mounting device further has a protruding piece extending from the edge of the opening toward the bottom of the groove.

In the above-described embodiment, the movement of the horizontal end of the first support member can be restricted by the protruding piece. Therefore, the first support member can be attached to the support column more securely.

A fence mounting structure according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a support post having a groove extending in the vertical direction, and a mounting device having a main body inserted into the groove and an opening in the main body into which the horizontal end of the first rail member can be inserted. When the mounting device is inserted into the groove, the mounting device is positioned between the horizontal end of the first rail member and the side surface of the groove, positioning the horizontal end of the first rail member in the width direction of the groove.

This allows for more secure attachment to the support column, not only by positioning the crossbar member having a thickness matching the opening width of the groove in the support column, but also by positioning the first crossbar member having a horizontal end with a thickness smaller than the opening width of the groove in the support column.

Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a fence having a fence mounting structure according to Embodiment 1. Figure 2 is an assembly perspective view of the fence shown in Figure 1. Figure 3 is an enlarged end view of the line F3-F3 shown in Figure 2. Figure 4 is an enlarged end view of the line F4-F4 shown in Figure 2. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line F5-F5 as shown in Figure 2. Figure 6 is an external view of the mounting fixture of the fence mounting structure shown in Figure 1, where (A) is a front side perspective view, (B) is a rear side perspective view, and (C) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line F61-F61. Figure 7 is a front view showing the mounting fixture in a modified fence mounting structure according to Embodiment 1.

The embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that identical or corresponding parts in the drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions will not be repeated. Furthermore, the dimensions of the components in each drawing do not faithfully represent the actual dimensions of the components or their dimensional ratios.

Furthermore, in the following explanation, the terms "fixing," "connecting," and "attaching" (hereinafter referred to as "fixing, etc.") include not only cases where components are directly fixed to each other, but also cases where they are fixed to each other via other components. In other words, in the following explanation, the terms "fixing, etc." include both direct and indirect fixing of components to each other.

[Embodiment 1]
(Overall structure)
The fence mounting structure 10 according to Embodiment 1 will be described using Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a fence 1 having the fence mounting structure 10 according to Embodiment 1. Figure 2 is an assembled perspective view of the fence 1 shown in Figure 1. The arrow V in the figure indicates the vertical direction, i.e., the up and down direction of the fence 1. The arrow H in the figure indicates the horizontal direction.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the fence 1 has a pair of support posts 11 and 12 and a crossbar member 20.

The pair of support columns 11 and 12 each extend vertically in the direction V from the foundation 5, which is provided at a predetermined interval. The pair of support columns 11 and 12 are made of a metal material such as aluminum or aluminum alloy, stainless steel, galvanized steel, or copper, and are manufactured, for example, by extrusion molding.

The plurality of crossbar members 20 include crossbar members that extend in the horizontal direction H, are supported at both ends by the support columns 11 and 12, and are aligned in the vertical direction V. The plurality of crossbar members 20 include first crossbar members 21 and 23 having a thickness smaller than the opening width of the grooves 13 and 14, and second crossbar members 22 and 24 having a thickness larger than the first crossbar members 21 and 23 and that can be inserted into the grooves 13 and 14. As the plurality of crossbar members 20, for example, an assembly of integrally extruded bodies with a metal core, as disclosed in International Publication No. 2019/188827, can be used. The metal core of the integrally extruded body is made of a metal material such as aluminum or aluminum alloy, stainless steel, galvanized steel, or copper. The core of the plurality of crossbar members 20 is hollow or solid and has a rectangular cross-section. The integrally extruded body has a resin layer provided on the outside of the core via an adhesive layer. The aforementioned resin layer contains at least a base resin and wood powder, and is processed to have a wood-grain appearance. This allows the integrally extruded molded body to have a natural wood-grain texture.

The fence mounting structure 10 according to Embodiment 1 is a structure for attaching a plurality of rail members 20, which constitute a part of the fence 1, to support posts 11 and 12. That is, as shown in Figures 1 to 5, the fence mounting structure 10 is a structure in which the horizontal ends of a plurality of rail members 20, which constitute a part of the fence 1 and extend in the horizontal direction H, are supported by a pair of support posts 11 and 12 that extend in the vertical direction.

The fence mounting structure 10 has grooves 13 and 14, and mounting fixtures 31 and 32.

The grooves 13 and 14 are provided on the support columns 11 and 12, respectively, extending vertically in the direction V and with their openings facing each other. Furthermore, on the support columns 11 and 12, the grooves 13 and 14 extend vertically from a predetermined distance from the top surface 5a of the foundation 5 to the upper ends 11a and 12a of the support columns 11 and 12, respectively.

The mounting fixtures 31 and 32 are devices for attaching the first rail members 21 and 23, which have a thickness smaller than the opening width of the groove 14, to the posts 11 and 12, which have vertically extending grooves 13 and 14. In other words, the mounting fixtures 31 and 32 can position the horizontal ends 21a, 21b, etc., of the first rail members 21 within the grooves 13 and 14 of the posts 11 and 12, respectively. The mounting fixtures 31 and 32 are, for example, made of metal or synthetic resin. Typically, synthetic resin injection molded products are used. Details of the mounting fixtures 31 and 32 will be described later.

(Assembling the fence)
An example of how to assemble the fence 1 having the fence mounting structure 10 is as follows.

(Installation of support posts)
First, a pair of support columns 11 and 12 are attached to the foundation 5.

(Attachment of crossbar members)
Next, the first or second cross members are attached to the support columns 11 and 12 until the upper ends of the multiple cross members 20 reach the desired height.

When attaching a first crossbar member having a thickness smaller than the opening width of the groove 14 to the support columns 11 and 12, the horizontal end of the first crossbar member is inserted into the opening 43 of the mounting fixtures 31 and 32. This attaches the mounting fixtures 31 and 32 to the horizontal end of the first crossbar member. With the mounting fixtures 31 and 32 attached to the horizontal end of the first crossbar member in this manner, they are inserted into the grooves 13 and 14 from the upper ends 11a and 12a of the pair of support columns 11 and 12. This allows the first crossbar member to be supported by the pair of support columns 11 and 12. Then, the first or second crossbar member is attached within the grooves 13 and 14 so that it is adjacent to the first crossbar member in the vertical direction V upwards.

When attaching a second support member to the support columns 11 and 12, which has a thickness greater than that of the first support member and is thick enough to be inserted into the grooves 13 and 14, the horizontal end of the second support member is inserted into the grooves 13 and 14.

These steps are repeated until the upper ends of the multiple crossbar members 20, supported by the pair of support columns 11 and 12, reach the desired height. Then, spacers 33 and 34 are inserted into the grooves 13 and 14. Furthermore, with the mounting fixtures 31 and 32 attached to the horizontal ends of the first crossbar member, these are inserted into the grooves 13 and 14 so that they are adjacent to the vertical V-shaped upper side of the spacers 33 and 34.

(Attaching the end cap)
Finally, attach the end caps 35 and 36 to the upper ends 11a and 12a of the support posts 11 and 12 using screws or the like. This completes the assembly of fence 1.

(Fence mounting structure and mounting hardware)
The fence mounting structure and the configuration of the mounting hardware will be explained using Figures 3 to 6. Figure 3 is an enlarged end view taken along the line F3-F3 shown in Figure 2. Figure 4 is an enlarged end view taken along the line F4-F4 shown in Figure 2. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line F5-F5 shown in Figure 2. Figure 6 is an external view of the mounting hardware of the fence mounting structure shown in Figure 1, where (A) is a front side perspective view, (B) is a rear side perspective view, and (C) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line F61-F61.

For the sake of clarity, the fence mounting structure on the groove 14 side of the support post 12 will be described as a representative example below.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the groove 14 of the support column 12 has side walls 16a and 16b on both sides in the width direction. The groove 14 also has an opening 15 between the side walls 16a and 16b. Furthermore, the groove 14 of the support column 12 has an internal space S located inward from the side walls 16a and 16b, which is wider than the opening width W1 of the groove 14 and capable of accommodating the main body 41 of the mounting fixture 32 described later.

As shown in Figure 3, the first support member 21 has a thickness W2 smaller than the opening width W1 of the groove 14 of the support column 12. Also, as shown in Figure 4, the thickness W3 of the second support member 22 is greater than the thickness W2 of the first support member 21. Furthermore, the thickness W3 of the second support member 22 is such that it can be inserted into the groove 14 with an opening width W1. The mounting structures of the first support member 21 and the second support member 22 will be described in order below.

Referring to Figure 3, in the mounting structure of the first support member 21, the mounting fixture 32 is positioned between the horizontal end 21b of the first support member 21 and the side surface 14a of the groove 14. From another perspective, the mounting fixture 32 is positioned between the horizontal end 21b of the first support member 21 and the opening 15 provided between the side wall portions 16a, 16b of the groove 14. Note that the cross-sectional design of the support column 12 is not particularly limited, and a configuration without a rib surface like the side surface 14a is acceptable. In such a configuration, the tip surfaces of the side wall portions 16a, 16b may extend toward the bottom 17 of the groove 14, forming the side surface of the groove 14. Furthermore, in this case, the mounting fixture 32 only needs to have a shape corresponding to the shape of the tip surfaces of the side wall portions 16a, 16b.

Furthermore, the configuration of the mounting bracket 32 will be explained with reference to Figure 6. In the figure, the arrow FRONT indicates the front direction of the mounting bracket 32. The arrow REAR indicates the rear direction of the mounting bracket 32. The arrow UP indicates the upward direction of the mounting bracket 32. The arrow DOWN indicates the downward direction of the mounting bracket 32. The arrow RIGHT indicates the right direction of the mounting bracket 32. The arrow LEFT indicates the left direction of the mounting bracket 32. Also, the left-right direction of the mounting bracket 32 is perpendicular to the front-back and up-down directions of the mounting bracket 32, assuming that the vertical direction is defined as the up-down direction.

The mounting fixture 32, in more detail, has a main body portion 41 and an opening 43.

The main body 41 has a box-shaped form that extends long in the vertical direction. The left-right direction corresponds to the width direction of the main body 41. The main body 41 has a front portion 41a at the front of the main body 41. The bottom portion 41b and the top portion 41c are connected to the downward DOWN end and the upward UP end of the front portion 41a, respectively. On the front portion 41a, side portions 41d and 41e are connected to both sides of the main body 41 in the width direction.

As shown in Figure 3, the main body 41 is inserted into the groove 14 such that a portion of it is exposed at the opening 15 of the groove 14. That is, by aligning the vertical direction of the mounting bracket 32 with the vertical direction V of the support column 12, the main body 41 of the mounting bracket 32 can be inserted into the groove 14 from the upper end 12a of the support column 12 and then inserted downwards.

Furthermore, the main body portion 41 has a projection 42 that protrudes forward from the front portion 41a of the main body portion 41. That is, as shown in Figure 3, the projection 42 has a width that allows it to be inserted into the opening 15 of the groove portion 14, and it protrudes relative to the main body portion 41 so as to be located within the opening 15 of the groove portion 14.

The protruding portion 42 of the mounting bracket 32 restricts the movement of the main body portion 41 of the mounting bracket 32 in the groove width direction within the groove portion 14. Therefore, the positioning accuracy of the first support member 21 in the groove portion 14 of the support column 12 is improved.

The opening 43 has a rectangular shape when viewed from the front and is located on the front portion 41a and the protruding portion 42. That is, the opening 43 penetrates the main body portion 41 and the protruding portion 42 from the front (FRONT) to the rear (REAR).

Referring also to Figure 3, the opening 43 is provided so that the horizontal end 21b of the first support member 21 can be inserted into the main body portion 41. That is, when attaching the mounting bracket 32 to the horizontal end 21b of the first support member 21, the horizontal end 21b of the first support member 21 is inserted into the opening 43 from the front side of the main body portion 41.

Therefore, the mounting bracket 32 can support the lower part of the first support member 21 within the groove 14 by its opening 43 and bottom surface 41b. Furthermore, the mounting bracket 32 can support another support member positioned above the first support member 21 within the groove 14 by its opening 43 and top surface 41c. Thus, the mounting bracket 32 can position the first support member 21 vertically relative to other support members such as second support members 22, 24, and spacers 33, 34, etc., positioned vertically above and below the first support member 21.

Furthermore, the mounting fixture 32 has protruding pieces 44 and 45. The protruding pieces 44 and 45 each extend rearward from the edge of the opening 43 to the main body 41. Preferably, the length of the protruding pieces 44 and 45 extending rearward matches the insertion length of the first support member 21 into the groove 14. This allows the length of insertion of the horizontal end 21b of the first support member 21 into the opening 43 to be aligned with the rearward ends of the protruding pieces 44 and 45 when attaching the mounting fixture 32 to the horizontal end 21b of the first support member 21. This improves the efficiency of the installation work.

Furthermore, the protruding pieces 44 are provided on the upper and lower edges of the opening 43 in the vertical direction.

The protruding pieces 45 are provided on a portion of both side edges of the opening 43 in the left-right direction. As shown in Figure 3, with the main body 41 inserted into the groove 14 of the support column 12, the protruding pieces 45 extend from both side edges of the opening 43 towards the bottom 17 of the groove 14 along the horizontal end 21b of the first support member 21. Furthermore, the protruding pieces 45 have a tapered structure such that the spacing in the left-right direction narrows from the front side to the rear side.

Therefore, the protruding piece 45 can hold the horizontal end 21b of the first support member 21 and restrict its movement. Thus, the first support member 21 can be attached to the support column 12 more securely.

Furthermore, as described above, the mounting bracket 32 protrudes from the main body 41 toward the groove 14 when the main body 41 is inserted into the groove 14 of the support column 12. The protruding portion 42 is formed on the front surface 41a of the main body 41.

The protruding pieces 44 and 45 can restrict the movement of the horizontal end 21b of the first support member 21. Therefore, the first support member 21 can be attached to the support column 12 more securely.

Next, referring to Figure 4, in the mounting structure of the second support member 22, the horizontal ends 22a and 22b of the second support member 22 are positioned in the groove 14, having a thickness greater than that of the first support member 21 and sufficient to be inserted into the groove 14 with an opening width W1. The movement of the second support member 22 in the width direction is restricted by the side walls 16a and 16b. In other words, the second support member 22 is supported by the vertically extending support column 12 without the use of a mounting fixture 32. Furthermore, the second support member 22 is directly positioned in the width direction by the groove 14.

Furthermore, the fence mounting structure on the groove 13 side is symmetrical to the fence mounting structure on the groove 14 side described above. Therefore, a repeat explanation will not be provided here. Also, the mounting structure of the first rail member 23 is the same as that of the first rail member 21, and the mounting structure of the second rail member 24 is the same as that of the second rail member 22.

(Effects and Benefits)
As described above, the fence mounting structure 10 is a structure in which the horizontal ends of a plurality of horizontal rail members 20 that constitute a part of the fence 1 and extend in the horizontal direction are supported by vertically extending support posts 11 and 12.

In the grooves 13 and 14, first support members 21 and 23, having a thickness smaller than the opening width of the grooves 13 and 14 of the support columns 11 and 12, and second support members 22 and 24, having a thickness greater than the first support members 21 and 23 and capable of being inserted into the grooves 13 and 14, are arranged via mounting fixtures 31 and 32.

Specifically, as shown in Figure 5, a first support member 21 having a thickness W2 is positioned adjacent to the upper side of the second support member 24 having a thickness W3 in the vertical direction V, via a mounting bracket 32. Furthermore, a second support member 22 having a thickness W3 is positioned adjacent to the upper side of the first support member 21 having a thickness W2 in the vertical direction V. Additionally, a spacer 34 is positioned adjacent to the upper side of the second support member 22 having a thickness W3 in the vertical direction V. A first support member 23 having a thickness W2 is positioned adjacent to the upper side of the spacer 34 in the vertical direction V, via a mounting bracket 32.

Therefore, it is possible to construct fences with a highly aesthetic design.

Furthermore, in the above configuration, the main body 41 of the mounting fixture 32 is inserted into the grooves 13 and 14 such that a portion of it is exposed at the openings of the grooves 13 and 14. The openings 43 of the mounting fixtures 31 and 32 are provided so that the horizontal ends of the first crossbar members 21 and 23 can be inserted into the main body 41. From another perspective, the mounting fixture 32 has a main body 41 that extends in a unidirectional vertical direction and has a shape that allows it to be inserted vertically into the grooves 13 and 14, and an opening 43 that opens towards the opening 15 side of the grooves 13 and 14 and allows the horizontal ends of the first crossbar members 21 and 23 to be inserted when the main body 41 is inserted into the grooves 13 and 14.

This allows the first support members 21 and 23, which have horizontal ends with a thickness smaller than the opening width of the grooves 13 and 14 of the support columns 11 and 12, to be fixed to the mounting fixtures 31 and 32. Furthermore, since the mounting fixtures 31 and 32 support the lower part of the first support members 21 and 23 through the opening 43 within the grooves 13 and 14, the first support members 21 and 23 can be positioned vertically.

This allows the first crossbar member 21, even if it has an end portion with a thickness smaller than the opening width of the grooves 13 and 14 of the support columns 11 and 12, to be attached to the support columns.

[Modified form of Embodiment 1]
A modified example of the fence mounting structure 10 according to Embodiment 1 will be described with reference to Figure 7. In the following, only configurations that differ from Embodiment 1 will be described, and configurations that are the same as those in Embodiment 1 will not be repeated. Figures 7(A) to (D) are front views showing the mounting fixtures in the fence mounting structure according to a modified example of Embodiment 1.

Referring to Figure 7(A), the mounting fixture 32A differs from the mounting fixture 32 of Embodiment 1 in the dimensions of the opening 43 in the vertical direction. Specifically, the opening 43 of the mounting fixture 32A shown in Figure 7(A) has a smaller dimension L2 than the vertical dimension L1 of the opening 43 of Embodiment 1. Furthermore, while the mounting fixture 32 of Embodiment 1 had two pairs of protruding pieces 45, the mounting fixture 32A shown in Figure 7(A) has one pair of protruding pieces 45.

This allows for the installation of narrow vertical support members. Therefore, it is possible to construct a fence with a more aesthetically pleasing design.

Referring to Figure 7(B), the mounting bracket 32B differs from the mounting bracket 32 of Embodiment 1 in the dimensions of the opening 43 in the left-right direction. That is, the opening 43 of the mounting bracket 32B shown in Figure 7(B) has an opening width M2 that is smaller than the opening width M1 in the second direction of the opening 43 of Embodiment 1. Note that the protruding piece 45 of Embodiment 1 is omitted.

This allows for the attachment of three different thicknesses of railing members to the fence. Therefore, it is possible to construct a fence with even greater aesthetic appeal.

Referring to Figure 7(C), unlike the mounting fixture 32 of Embodiment 1, which was composed of a single component, the mounting fixture 32C is composed of two components. That is, the mounting fixture 32C shown in Figure 7(C) has a first main body portion 411 and a second main body portion 412. The first main body portion 411 and the second main body portion 412 each have a U-shape when viewed from the front, and have an opening 461 for inserting the upper part of the first crossbar member 21 and an opening 462 for inserting the lower part of the first crossbar member 21. In addition, the first main body portion 411 is provided with a protrusion 421 on its front portion 411a. The second main body portion 412 is provided with a protrusion 422 on its front portion 412a. The protrusion 421 of the first main body portion 411 and the protrusion 422 of the second main body portion 412 function in the same way as the protrusion 42 of the main body portion 41 of Embodiment 1. Furthermore, instead of the opening 43 in the main body portion 41 of Embodiment 1, the first main body portion 411 has an opening portion 461, and the second main body portion 412 has an opening portion 462. This reduces the amount of material required to manufacture the mounting fixture 32C.

Referring to Figure 7(D), the mounting bracket 32D differs from the mounting bracket 32 of Embodiment 1 in terms of the dimensions and angle of the opening. Furthermore, the mounting bracket 32D shown in Figure 7(D) has a different angle of opening 43 than the mounting bracket 32B shown in Figure 7(B). The downward direction (DOWN), i.e., the bottom surface 41b side of the opening 43 of the mounting bracket 32D shown in Figure 7(D), is located towards the right, while the upward direction (UP), i.e., the top surface 41c side, is located towards the left. This allows the support member to be attached to the support column in an inclined state.

[Other embodiments]
Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the embodiments described above are merely illustrative examples for carrying out the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and it is possible to carry out the present invention by appropriately modifying the embodiments described above without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the first embodiment described above, a mounting device having a box-shaped form extending vertically was explained, but the invention is not limited to this. The mounting device may have a different shape, for example, a cylindrical shape. Furthermore, while the mounting device was composed of one or two members, it may be composed of three or more members.

The above embodiment 1 described a specific fence assembly method, but it is not limited to this. The arrangement order of the rail member having a thickness smaller than the opening width of the groove and the other rail member having a thickness matching the opening width of the groove is arbitrary. Furthermore, although a configuration using spacers in the fence was described, the spacers may be omitted. Note that the above assembly method is just one example; for example, the spacers may be inserted in other positions.

In the above embodiment 1, the mounting fixture had multiple protruding pieces, but some or all of these protruding pieces may be omitted. Furthermore, there are no particular restrictions on the shape of the protruding pieces. Alternatively, a wall may be formed around the opening instead of the protruding pieces.

In the above embodiment 1, the groove had a side wall and the mounting fixture had a protrusion, but one or both of these may be omitted.

In the first embodiment described above, a fence mounting structure was described in which a crossbar member having a thickness smaller than the opening width of the groove and another crossbar member having a thickness matching the opening width of the groove were arranged. However, the structure is not limited to this. In a fence mounting structure, only crossbar members having a thickness smaller than the opening width of the groove may be arranged.

Although not specifically described in Embodiment 1, another fence may be connected to the first fence. Furthermore, the support posts may have multiple grooves. In this case, the rail members constituting a part of one fence may be placed in one groove, and the rail members constituting a part of the other fence may be placed in the other groove. Multiple fences may be connected in a straight line or at right angles to each other.

In the first embodiment described above, a pair of support columns and a plurality of cross members were used with specific shapes and materials, but this is not limited to this. For example, the horizontal cross-section of the pair of support columns and the thickness-direction cross-section of the plurality of remaining members may have a circular or elliptical shape. Furthermore, for example, the pair of support columns may be made of materials other than those mentioned above, such as metal, wood, resin, or composite materials thereof. The plurality of cross members may be made of materials other than those mentioned above, such as metal, wood, resin, glass, or composite materials thereof.

This invention can be used in fence mounting structures and the like, which include rail members that constitute a part of a fence and support posts that support the rail members.

1 Fence 10 Fence mounting structure 11, 12 Posts 13, 14 Groove 14a Side surface 15 Opening 16a, 16b Side wall 17 Bottom 20 Multiple crossbar members 21, 23 First crossbar members 21a, 21b Horizontal end 22, 24 Second crossbar members 31, 32, 32A, 32B, 32C, 32D Mounting fixture 41 Main body 411 First main body 412 Second main body 42 Protruding part 421 Protruding part 422 Protruding part 43 Opening 44 Protruding piece 45 Protruding piece S Space H Horizontal direction V Vertical direction

Claims (3)

A fence mounting structure comprising a plurality of horizontal rail members that constitute a part of a fence and extend horizontally, wherein the horizontal end of at least one first rail member is supported by a vertically extending support post using a mounting device,
The support column has a groove that extends in the vertical direction,
The mounting fixture has a main body portion that is inserted into the groove portion, and an opening provided in the main body portion that allows the horizontal end of the first crossbar member to be inserted.
When the mounting fixture is inserted into the groove, the mounting fixture is positioned between the horizontal end of the first rail member and the side surface of the groove, positioning the horizontal end of the first rail member in the width direction of the groove .
The groove portion of the support column is
The width dimension is larger than the opening width of the groove and has an internal space capable of accommodating the main body of the mounting fixture,
The main body portion of the mounting fixture is
The feature is that it has a protrusion that protrudes from the main body so as to be located within the opening of the groove ,
Fence mounting structure. A fence mounting structure comprising a plurality of horizontal rail members that constitute a part of a fence and extend horizontally, wherein the horizontal end of at least one first rail member is supported on a vertically extending post using a mounting device, and the horizontal end of the remaining second rail member is supported on a vertically extending post without using the aforementioned mounting device,
The support column has a groove that extends in the vertical direction,
The mounting fixture has a main body that is inserted into the groove, and an opening provided in the main body that allows the horizontal end of the first crossbar member to be inserted.
When the mounting fixture is inserted into the groove, the mounting fixture is positioned between the horizontal end of the first rail member and the side surface of the groove, positioning the horizontal end of the first rail member in the width direction of the groove .
The groove portion of the support column is
The width dimension is larger than the opening width of the groove and has an internal space capable of accommodating the main body of the mounting fixture,
The main body portion of the mounting fixture is
The feature is that it has a protrusion that protrudes from the main body so as to be located within the opening of the groove ,
Fence mounting structure . In the fence mounting structure according to claim 1 or claim 2,
The aforementioned mounting fixture is
The opening further has a protruding piece extending from the edge toward the bottom of the groove,
Fence mounting structure.