NL2025400B1

NL2025400B1 - Fence assembly and method of assembling such a fence assembly

Info

Publication number: NL2025400B1
Application number: NL2025400A
Authority: NL
Inventors: Steenpoorte Adriaan
Original assignee: Schuttingbouw Zeeland B.V.
Priority date: 2020-04-22
Filing date: 2020-04-22
Publication date: 2021-10-28

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a fence assembly, comprising: - a plurality of uprights arranged in a row and spaced apart from one another, wherein each one of the plurality of uprights comprises at least one through hole extending in a direction direction of the row; - at least one cross beam arranged Within an intermediate space defined by a first and a second upright among the plurality of uprights; - a first connector extending through the through hole of the first upright and into a first recess of the cross beam; and - a second connector extending through the through hole of the second upright and into a second recess of the cross beam.

Description

FENCE ASSEMBLY AND METHOD OF ASSEMBLING SUCH A FENCE ASSEMBLY The present disclosure relates to a fence assembly of the type commonly used for fencing off a specific geographical area to prevent unauthorised access thereto. The present disclosure furthermore relates to a method of installing or assembling such a fence assembly and/or to provide a sense of privacy.

Fence assemblies of the aforementioned type are intended for outdoor use and have an intended lifespan of several years or more, during which they are continuously subjected to prolonged weather influences. Such fence assemblies are therefore required to be composed of durable components that are moreover configured to withstand long term outdoor usage.

Moreover, fence assemblies of the aforementioned type often find application in hiding fenced off areas from view; and thus preferably comprise an essentially closed structure.

The above stated requirements regarding durability and constructive properties of fence assemblies constitute an impact on the methods and materials used for their assembly. Assembling such fence assemblies typically comprises arranging heavy and unwieldy building components, such as (concrete) uprights and slabs. For these known fence assemblies, said uprights and slabs must respectively be arranged in an alternating manner by placing a first upright, then connecting a horizontal member thereto, followed by placing a second upright and connecting said second upright to the horizontal member, etc. This results in a very labour intensive, non-streamlined and time consuming assembly process. This is moreover aggravated due to the limited amount of space available in many private gardens, which limits the possibility of employing mechanised means.

The objective of the present disclosure is to provide a fence assembly and a method of assembling such a fence assembly, which are improved relative to the prior art and wherein preferably one or more of the above stated problems of known fence assemblies is obviated or abated.

This objective is achieved with a fence assembly according to a general aspect of the present disclosure, comprising: - a plurality of uprights arranged in a row and spaced apart from one another, wherein each one of the plurality of uprights comprises at least one through hole extending in a direction of the TOW; - at least one cross beam arranged within an intermediate space defined by a first and a second upright among the plurality of uprights; - a first connector extending through the through hole of the first upright and into a first recess of the cross beam; and - a second connector extending through the through hole of the second upright and into a second recess of the cross beam.

In a preferred embodiment of a fence assembly in accordance with the present disclosure, the cross beam preferably comprises a cross beam assembly comprising a main part and a spacer part arranged within a gap defined by the main part of the cross beam and the second upright.

The aforementioned objective is furthermore achieved with a method of assembling a fence assembly, comprising: - arranging a plurality of uprights in a row and spaced apart from one another, wherein each one of the plurality of uprights comprises at least one through hole extending in a direction of the row; - arranging at least one cross beam within an intermediate space defined by a first and a IO second upright among the plurality of uprights; - arranging a first connector through the through hole of the first upright and into a first recess of the cross beam; and - arranging a second connector through the through hole of the second upright and into a second recess of the cross beam.

In a preferred embodiment of a method of assembling a fence assembly in accordance with the present disclosure, the step of arranging at the least one cross beam comprises: arranging a main part of the cross beam within the intermediate space defined by the first and the second upright among the plurality of uprights; and arranging a spacer of the cross beam within gap defined by the main part of the cross beam and the second upright.

Further preferred embodiments of a fence assembly and method of assembling such a fence assembly are subject of the appended dependent claims.

The various aspects and features described and illustrated in the present disclosure can be applied, individually, wherever possible. These individual aspects, and in particular the aspects and features described in the attached dependent claims, may be made subject of divisional patent applications.

In the following description preferred embodiments of the present invention are further elucidated with reference to the drawing, in which: Figures 1A to IF illustrate a preferred sequence of subsequent steps for assembling a fence assembly in accordance with the present disclosure; Figure 2 shows a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of an upright to be used in a fence assembly in accordance with the present disclosure; Figure 3 shows a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a crossbeam to be used in an assembly in accordance with the present disclosure; and Figure 4 shows a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a spacer to be used in an assembly in accordance with the present disclosure.

As illustrated in figure 1A, a fence assembly in accordance with the present disclosure comprises a plurality of uprights 2, 2°. Uprights 2, 2’ are arranged in a row defining an outline of a fence to be assembled, with uprights 2, 2’ being spaced at predetermined intermediate distances relative to one another.

While figure 1A only depicts a first upright 2 and a second upright 2°, the plurality of uprights 2, 2’ may comprise any number of uprights depending on the length of the fence assembly to be assembled and on the relative dimensions of its components. Moreover, a fence assembly in accordance with the present disclosure may comprise more than one plurality of uprights arranged in a row to, for example, assemble a fence assembly with one or more corner sections.

As is illustrated in figure 2, each upright 2, 2’ comprises at least one through hole 7. Each respective one of the plurality of uprights 2, 27 is oriented so that a direction of its respective through hole 7 coincides with a direction of the row in which it is arranged.

Each one of uprights 2, 2° may comprise any suitable material that is sufficiently sturdy and durable to withstand prolonged exposure to outdoor conditions. In preferred embodiments, each one of uprights 2, 2° comprises a metal body, such as steel, with a hollow interior that is moreover provided with a powder coating. Such uprights 2, 2° comprise the advantageous that they may be easily places and comprise a reduced weight and increased resilience relative to concrete uprights. Alternatively, uprights 2, 2° may be manufactured from concrete, which may be cast in conjunction with a casing.

As will be elucidated further below, the constructive properties of the herein disclosed fence assembly permit placement of all of uprights 2, 2’ constituting the fence assembly prior to any further subsequent assembly steps. The assembly process may therefore be conducted in a manner that is more streamlined than known methods for assembling a fence assembly.

Figure 1B illustrates a subsequent step in the assembly of a fence assembly according to the present disclosure, wherein at least one first connector 3 is arranged through a through hole 7 of a first upright 2 among the plurality of uprights.

First connector 3 may comprise an elongate body dimensioned to extend through the through hole 7 of first upright 2 and to extend over a distance at either side thereof. A distance between one end of first connector 3 and subsequent second upright 2° may be defined as a distances.

While the embodiment depicted in figure 1 comprises two first connectors 3, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In alternative embodiments, the fence assembly may comprise one, three or more than three of first connector 3.

Through hole 7 of first upright 2 may be undersized relative to a diameter of first connector 3, so that first connector 3 is received by through hole 7 of first upright 2 in a clamping or form- tight manner. First connector 3 may comprises a light weight material, such as a plastic, that comprises at least some degree of compressibility and/or flexibility to be received by through hole 7 of first upright 2 in a clamping or form-tight manner.

In figure 1C at least one main part 4 of a cross beam assembly 10 is arranged within an intermediate space defined by first upright 2 and second upright 2’ among the plurality of uprights.

Main part 4 preferably comprises a metal body, such as alaminium or steel, with a hollow interior and is preferably likewise provided with a powder coating, resulting in an aesthetic appearance that complements or matches that of first upright 2 and second upright 2°. Alternatively, in certain embodiments main part 4 may be manufactured from concrete at reduced costs.

In preferred embodiments of the present fence assembly, main part 4 comprises a length approximately equal to, but no longer than, a gap 11 having a length s shown in figure 1B so that main part 4 may be arranged within the intermediate space between first upright 2 and second upright 2” without moving or removing first connector 3.

As is illustrated in figure 3, main part 4 comprises at least one recess 8 at a longitudinal side thereof, said recess 8 being configured to receive first connector 3. Each one of at least one recess 8 may likewise be undersized relative to a diameter of first connector 3 to receive first connector 3 in a clamping or form-tight manner.

In figure 1C, a gap 12 having a length g remains between one distal end of main part 4 and second upright 2” after placement of main part 4.

Figure 1D depicts a further subsequent assembly step following the assembly step illustrated in figure 1C. In the depicted assembly step, a spacer part 5 is arranged within the aforementioned gap 12 having length g between the one distal end of main part 4 and second upright 2°. In other words, main part 4 and spacer part 5 are brought into an assembled state to thereby form a cross beam assembly 10 of the fence assembly.

As is best shown in figure 4, spacer part 5 preferably comprises at least one through hole 9 configured to receive a second connector 3’ there through, with said connector 3° thereby connecting second upright 2°, main part 4 and spacer part 5. Main part 4 and spacer part 5 may thus form an assembly of a cross beam within the meaning of the appended claims.

In preferred embodiments, spacer part 5 comprises a length approximately equal to length g of the remaining gap 12 shown in figure 1C; and therefore abuts both main part 4 and second upright 2’ when arranged in said gap 11 there between.

Spacer part 5 moreover preferably comprises a width and a height approximately equal to a width and a height of main part 4 and may comprise identical or similar materials, including the aforementioned metal and concrete materials. Consequently, main part 4 and spacer part 5 appear to be integrally connected, with no noticeable visual distinction these two individual components when in the assembled state, which results in an aesthetically pleasing assembly.

In figure 1E, which illustrates a further subsequent assembly step, at least one second connector 3’ is arranged through the through hole of second upright 2°, through the through hole of spacer part 5 and into a recess of main part 4. Second connector 3° may be similar or identical to first connector 3 or the first connectors 3; and may be likewise configured to be received into a 5 recess 9 of main part 4 and/or through hole 9 of spacer part 5 in a clamping or form-tight manner.

Figure 1E and figure 4 depict spacer part 5 having a through hole 9 extending there through to receive second connector 3° to thereby connect the main part 4 and the spacer part 5, resulting in the cross beam assembly 10. However, the skilled person will appreciate that the merits of utilising such a cross beam assembly 10 may likewise be achieved with alternative connection means for connecting main part 4 and spacer part 5. For example, a connection between main part 4 and spacer part 5 may alternative be achieved with said respective two parts comprising interlocking shapes; with second connector 3’ extending within a recess of spacer part 5, but not extending there through into a recess of main part 4.

The steps illustrated in fig 1A to 1E may be repeatedly performed a predetermined number of times for subsequent fence sections to assemble a fence assembly according to the present disclosure.

Figure 1F illustrates a subsequent and possibly final step for assembling a fence assembly in accordance with the present disclosure. In said figure, a partition member 6 is arranged in a plane defined by first upright 2, second upright 2’ and main part 4 and spacer part 5 of the cross beam assembly 10.

Partition member 6 may comprise an essentially closed structure to hide an area fenced off by the fence assembly from view. For example, partition member 6 may comprise one more boards or slats made from a wood or a plastic material. Alternatively, an open partition member 6 may be utilised, such as a grating.

The skilled person will appreciate that the fence assembly in accordance with the present disclosure may be assembled using a method that deviates from the method illustrated in figure 1A to figure IF, In particular the order of the depicted subsequent assembly steps may be deviated from while still achieving the various advantageous technical effects brought forward by the design of the fence assembly. These advantageous technical effects include, but are not limited to, the ability to conduct the assembly method in a more streamlined manner and the absence of the need to transfer heavy and bulky assembly components over considerable vertical distances.

The above described embodiments are intended only to illustrate the invention and not to limit in any way the scope of the present invention. Based on the above description of specific and particular embodiments of the present invention, the scope of protection according to the appended claims has been substantiated, whereas clearly additional and/or alternative embodiments are possible, feasible and potentially desirable within the scope of protection according to those appended claims.

Features of the specific embodiments can not and should not result in limitation of the scope of protection thereto, unless defined in independent claims, whereas even the features defined in the appended independent claims can be replaced by obvious alternatives.

Accordingly, it should be understood that where features mentioned in the appended claims are followed by reference signs, such signs are included solely for the purpose of enhancing the intelligibility of the claims and are in no way limiting on the scope of the claims.

The scope of the invention is defined solely by the following claims.

Claims

CONCLUSIONS i. A fencing assembly comprising: a plurality of uprights arranged in a row and spaced apart, each one of the plurality of uprights comprising at least one through hole extending in a direction of the row; - at least one crossbar arranged in an interspace defined by a first and a second upright among the plurality of uprights; - a first connector extending through the through hole of the first upright and into a first recess of the crossbar; and - a second connector extending through the through hole of the second upright and into a second recess of the crossbar.

Fence assembly according to claim 1, wherein the crossbar comprises an assembly of: - a main part; and - a spacer part arranged in an interspace defined by the main part of the crossbeam and the second upright.

The fence assembly of claim 2, wherein the second connector extends through a through hole of the spacer portion of said crossbar.

Fence assembly according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising one or more separating parts, which are arranged in a plane defined by the first and second uprights and the at least one cross beam.

Fence assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein each of the plurality of uprights comprises a hollow interior.

Fence assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein diameters of the first and second recesses of the crossbar are undersized relative to diameters of the first and second connectors for receiving said first and second connectors in a clamping or rigid manner .

A method of assembling a fence assembly comprising: arranging a plurality of uprights in a row and spaced apart, each one of the plurality of uprights comprising at least one through hole extending in a direction of the row ;

- arranging at least one transverse beam in an intermediate space defined by a first and a second upright amid the plurality of uprights; - arranging a first connector through the through hole of the first upright and in a recess of the crossbar; and - arranging a second connector through the through hole of the second upright and in a second recess of the crossbar.

Method for assembling a fence assembly according to claim 7, wherein the step of arranging the at least one crossbar comprises: - arranging a main part of the crossbar in the gap defined by the first and the second uprights amid the number of uprights; and - arranging a spacer part of the cross-beam in an intermediate space defined by the main part of the cross-beam and the second upright.

A method of assembling a fencing assembly according to claim 8, wherein applying the second connector comprises: inserting the second connector through a through hole of the spacer portion of the crossbar and into a second recess of the main portion of the crossbar,