US20210047857A1

US20210047857A1 - Privacy fence

Info

Publication number: US20210047857A1
Application number: US16/542,204
Authority: US
Inventors: Michael Rapport
Original assignee: Merit Aluminum Inc
Current assignee: Merit Aluminum Inc
Priority date: 2019-08-15
Filing date: 2019-08-15
Publication date: 2021-02-18

Abstract

An aluminum extruded privacy fence is disclosed. The privacy fence may have a plurality of boards that overlap one another at various respective distal portions. These distal portions of the adjacent boards interlock and are locked to each other when a screw, bolt or non-threaded pin is inserted into a hole formed or defined by an interlocking structure. The interlocking structure is formed by the distal end portions of adjacent boards.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

STATEMENT RE: FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH/DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND

The various embodiments and aspects described herein relate to a privacy fence, and more particularly, an aluminum extruded privacy fence.
Privacy fences fabricated from aluminum exist in the prior art. However, they have been found to be sub-optimal in relation to structural rigidity and ease of assembly.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an improved fence.

BRIEF SUMMARY

A privacy fence is described therein. The privacy fence may be fabricated or assembled with the plurality of boards which are extruded aluminum. Each of the boards may have an identical configuration so that a single dime may be used to fabricate all of the boards that will be used in the privacy fence. Each of the privacy fences have distal end portions which may be mirror images of each other. Distal portions of adjacent boards may engage one another in order to form an interlocking structure. The interlocking structure may have a hole in which a screw may be inserted. When inserted, the interlocking structure is locked in place and cannot be pulled apart. The boards are interlocked to each other through this method and means so as to provide a plurality of aluminum extruded boards that collectively are rigid and also easy to assemble.
More particularly, an aluminum privacy fence is disclosed. The privacy fence may comprise first and second posts, a plurality of boards and a plurality of pins. The first and second posts may be opposed to each other and serve to secure a plurality of boards to a ground. The plurality of boards may be disposed between the posts. The opposed end boards of the plurality of boards may be attached to the first and second opposed posts.
Each of the boards may have opposed first and second end portions. The first end portion of a first board may mate with a second end portion of an immediately adjacent second board. Each of the end portions may have a protruding stopping block that extends from a web of the board and a flange. The flange of the first end portion of the first board may be disposed between the flange and stopping block of the second end portion of the second board. Also, the flange of the second end portion of the second board may be disposed between the flange and stopping block of the first end portion of the first board. In this manner, the first and second boards cannot move longitudinally with respect to each other.
The plurality of pins may be inserted between mating curved surfaces formed in the flange of the first end portion of the first board and the flange of the second end portion of the second board.
The mating curved surfaces may be smooth. Also, a plurality of pins, threaded bolts, threaded screws or combinations thereof may be inserted into holes formed by the mating curved surfaces.
Immediately adjacent boards of the plurality of boards may be inverted with respect to each other.
The boards may have flanges and stopping blocks at opposed distal end portions and the flanges and stopping blocks may extend out in the same direction.
The mating curved surfaces may form a circle when the flange of the first board contacts the stopping block of the second board and the flange of the second board contacts the stopping block of the first board.
The flanges and stopping blocks may have wedge surfaces which assist in engaging the distal end portions of adjacent boards.
The boards may be extruded aluminum.
The distal ends of the flanges may contact interior surfaces of the webs of adjacent boards to stop further insertion of the flange of the first board between the stopping block and the flange of the second board.
In another aspect, a method of assembling a privacy fence is disclosed. The method may comprise the steps of digging two holes in a ground; inserting two posts in the two holes dug into the ground; providing a plurality of boards to be disposed between and attached to the two posts engaging a distal end portion of a board with a distal end portion of an adjacent board to form an interlocking structure; inserting a pin into a hole formed by the respectively engaged distal end portions of adjacent boards so that the adjacent boards are fixed to each other.
The method may further comprise the step of attaching a lower cap at lower portions of the posts, and installing adjacent boards in the lower cap as an installer attaches all of the plurality of boards to each other starting from one post to the second post.
The method may further comprise the step of inverting adjacent boards.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features and advantages of the various embodiments disclosed herein will be better understood with respect to the following description and drawings, in which like numbers refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a privacy fence;

FIG. 2 is a front-view of the privacy fence shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the privacy fence shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the privacy fence shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a simplified exploded perspective view of the privacy fence shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of an interlocking structure formed by two adjacent boards of the privacy fence;

FIG. 7 is a top view of one board of the privacy fence;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged top view of the board shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 illustrates end portions of adjacent boards which are aligned to each other;

FIG. 10 illustrates the distal portions of adjacent boards being engaged to each other to form the interlocking structure, the distal portions being in a first position;

FIG. 11 is the same view as that of FIG. 10 except that the distal portions are in a second position;

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the interlocking structure shown in FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 illustrates a screw, bolt or pin that may be inserted into a hole formed by the interlocking structures;

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of the interlocking structure shown in FIG. 13;

and

FIG. 15 is a variant of the board shown in FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to the drawings, a privacy fence 10 is shown. The parts that form the privacy fence 10 may be fabricated as an extruded aluminum part which is provided to an installer or user for assembly of the privacy fence 10 on site. The privacy fence 10 may be characterized as a board-on-board style fence. Each of the boards 12 may overlap one another in order to provide full privacy so that a person on one side of the fence 10 cannot see through the fence 10 to the other side of the privacy fence 10. No gaps exist between the boards 12. The boards 12 may be held together by an interlocking structure 14 which receives a screw 16 that spreads apart the interlocking structure 14 so that the boards 12 do not rattle or move with respect to each other after installation and so that the boards 12 do not come apart. This structure allows for structural rigidity in the privacy fence and also makes the privacy fence easy to assemble.
More particularly, referring now to FIG. 1, the fence 10 may have post 18 on opposed sides of a plurality of boards 12. The upper and lower ends of the boards 12 may be covered with an upper cap 20 and a lower cap 22 to hide the opposed ends of the boards 12. Under the upper cap 20, a cap retaining member 24 (see FIG. 4) may be used to secure the cap 20 to the upper end portions of the plurality of boards 12. The cap retaining member 24 may be secured to the upper ends of the boards by way of screws 16 (see FIGS. 4 and 6). The cap retaining member 24 may have a locking feature 25 which receives and snaps into engagement with a mating feature on the underside of the upper cap 20. The lower cap 22 may be secured to the lower ends of the boards 12 in the same manner that the upper cap 20 is secured to the upper ends of the boards 12 except that the lower cap 22 and the cap retaining member 24 are turned upside down.
The boards 12, posts 18, upper and lower caps 20, 22 and the cap retaining members 24 may be fabricated as an extruded aluminum component. The upper and lower caps 20, 22 maybe identical to each other. Likewise, the cap retaining members 24 that are used to secure the upper and lower caps 20, 22 may be identical to each other. Adjacent boards 12 may be identical to each other. The posts 18 on opposed ends of the plurality of boards 12 may be identical to each other. Although the privacy fence 10 may be fabricated as an extruded aluminum, it is also contemplated that the various components of the privacy fence 10 may be fabricated from other types of materials including by not limited to extruded plastic material, metallic material and steel material. These materials may be extruded, milled or otherwise manufactured with the design constraint described herein.
Referring now to FIG. 7, a top view of the board 12 is shown. All of the boards 12 that form the privacy fence 10 between the posts 18 may have the same configuration in terms of size and shape, for example, the configuration shown in FIG. 7. The configuration shown in FIG. 7 is merely exemplary of possible configurations for the cross section of the board 12. Other configurations are also contemplated. By way of example and not limitation, the board 12 may define a length 52. In FIG. 5, the length 52 of adjacent boards 12 are shown as being equally distant to each other. However, the length 52 of one board 12 may be longer or shorter than the other boards 12 that form the privacy fence 10 Likewise, a height 54 of the boards 12 are shown as being at the same height with each other. However, the height 54 of one board 12 may be at a different height 54 compared to an adjacent board. If so, the screw 16 must be sufficiently long to engage both of the screw receiving surfaces 36 of the end portions 28 of adjacent boards 12. The boards 12 may be dispose adjacent to each in a flip flop manner as shown in FIGS. 4-6. The end portion 28 of one board may interact with the end portion 28 of an adjacent board 12. Collectively, the end portions 28 of adjacent boards 12 collective form the interlocking structure 14. The end portion 28 is shown in more detail in FIG. 8. In particular, the end portion 28 may have a stopping block 30 that protrudes from a web 23 of the board 12. The board may also have a flange 34. The stopping block 30, the flange 34 and a portion of the web 32 between the stopping block 30 and the flange 34 forms one half of the interlocking structure 14 which hold the adjacent boards together.
The flange 34 may define one half of a screw receiving surface 36. The screw receiving service 36 may have a generally semicircular configuration. Moreover, the flange 34 may also have a nub 38 which engages the stopping block 30 of the end portion 28 of an adjacent board 12.
Referring now to FIG. 9, as discussed above, the adjacent boards 12 have an identical cross-sectional configuration but are laid flip flop or inverted to one another. The end portion 28 of one board 12 mates with the end portion 28 of the adjacent board 12 to form the interlocking structure 14. To mate adjacent boards 12 together, the flange 34 is inserted between the flange and stopping block 30 of and adjacent board 12. The flange 34 may define an inner surface 56. The inner surfaces 56 of flanges 34 of adjacent boards 12 may be aligned to each other as shown in FIG. 9. Once they are aligned, the end portions 28 may be pushed toward each other until they reach the position shown in FIG. 10. In this position, a gap 58 exists. This is the amount of play that one has to be able to match or interlock the end portions 28 of the adjacent boards 12 together. When moving the end portions 28 toward each other from the position shown in FIG. 9 to the position shown in FIG. 10, it is also contemplated that the end portions of the adjacent boards may engage with each other at the position shown in FIG. 11. In FIG. 11, a gap 60 exists which provides the play that the user has to accurately match or interlock the end portions 28 of the adjacent boards 12 together. When the end portions 28 are brought together from the position shown in FIG. 9, the end portions 28 may be brought together to any position between the range shown in FIG. 10 and the position shown in FIG. 11. Additionally, the wedge surfaces 44, 46 help to funnel the respective flange of one board 12 between the flange 34 and stopping block 30 of the other board 12. In the position shown in the FIGS. 10 and 11, the screw receiving surfaces 36 of the flanges 34 of adjacent boards 12 are aligned to each other. If they 36 are not aligned to each other, they will be aligned to each other when the pin, threaded screw 16 is inserted into the hole 40 formed by the respective screw receiving surfaces 36. Each of the end portions 28 may have the screw receiving surface 36. When the screw receiving surfaces 36 are aligned to each other, as shown in FIG. 10, a screw 16 may be inserted in to the aperture 40 formed by the pair of screw receiving surfaces 36. In doing so, the flanges 34 of adjacent boards 12 may be spread apart until the nubs 38 contact each other. This creates a rigid structural connection between adjacent boards so that the privacy fence can hold up to strong gusts of wind. Any further movement is limited by the stopping blocks 30. The screw 16 may have threads which match threads that may be formed in the screw receiving surface 36. Alternatively, the screw 16 may be a self-tapping screw so that the threads of the screw 16 may form the threads in the thread receiving surfaces 36 as the screw 16 is being screwed in to the aperture 40 as defined by the screw receiving surfaces 36. When the screw 16 is inserted in to the aperture 40, the flanges 34 cannot be pulled apart in opposite directions as shown by arrow 42.
Although the screw 16 is described as locking the end portions 28 of the boards 12, it is also contemplated that a threaded bolt or non-threaded pin may be inserted into the aperture 40 to lock the end portions 28 of adjacent boards 12. Preferably, a distal end portion of the threaded bolt or non-threaded pin may have a tapered end portion 62 (FIG. 6). This may help in inserting the non-threaded pin into the hole formed by the screw receiving surfaces 36. Also, other unique shapes including but not limited to polygonal, oval or corrugated shapes may be formed in the flanges of the boards 12 for receiving a corresponding shaped non-threaded pin. The screw or non-threaded pin may be received in the hole formed by the screw receiving surfaces to prohibit lateral and transverse movement of the end portions 28 of the adjacent boards 12. The screw receiving surfaces may have mating threads or be a smooth cylindrical surface. As used herein, pin is defined as a non-threaded pin, threaded bolt or threaded screw.
The stopping block 30 of the flange 34 may have mating wedge surfaces 44, 46 (see FIG. 9) which assist in locating or aligning the mating screw receiving surfaces 36 that form the aperture in which the threaded screw is inserted. In particular, the wedge surfaces 44, 46 may have corners 48, 50 that fit each other. When the corners 48, 50 are aligned to each other as shown in FIG. 11, the screw receiving surfaces 36 are also aligned to each other. An outer diameter 64 (FIG. 6) of the tapered end portion 62 of the pin, screw or bolt 16 may be smaller than a distance 64 between the screw receiving surfaces 36 shown in FIG. 10. To insert the pin, screw or bolt 16 into the hole 40 formed by the screw receiving surfaces 36, the distal end portion 62 may be placed in the hole 40. The user may turn the screw or bolt 16 to begin engaging the screw 16 into the hole 40 with a screwdriver or other wrench. If a non-threaded pin is inserted into the hole 40, then the user may hammer the pin 16 into the hole 40 until a head 60 of the screw 16 contacts ends of the boards 12.
Referring now to FIG. 2, to install the privacy fence 10, the installer may dig two holes 100 in the ground 102. These holes 100 are used to place the posts 18 when assembling the privacy fence 10 on site. The holes 100 loosely hold the posts 18 in a vertical position. The boards 12 are laid on the ground 102 in a flip flop manner with the flange 34 of one board 12 disposed between the flange 34 and stopping block 30 of an adjacent board 12. This is done until a length 104 is obtained. Screws, bolts or non-threaded pins 16 may be inserted into the holes 40 formed by the screw receiving surfaces 36 of the interlocking structures 14 formed by adjacent boards 12. The screws, bolts and/or non threaded pins 16 may be inserted into the holes 40 formed on both upper and lower ends of the boards 12. Since the boards are attached to each other serially and the screws, bolts and pins 16 create a rigid connection between adjacent boards 12, this makes assembly easier because the boards are structurally rigid and connected to each other serially or as the installing each adjacent board to the one before it. Once all of the screws, bolt or non-threaded pins 16 are inserted into the holes 40, the boards 12 may be propped up and disposed between the posts 18. More particularly, the lower cap 22 may be secured to the posts. The board receiving members 26 may be attached to the medial sides of the posts 18. The plurality of boards may be placed in the lower cap 22. The board end receiving members 26 may be used to secure the plurality of boards 12 to the post 18.
Alternatively, it is also contemplated that the lower cap 22 may be secured to the posts 18. The leftmost board may be attached to the board and receiving member 26 attached to the left post 18. The next adjacent board 12 may be inverted so that the respective flanges 34 are disposed between the flange 34 and stopping block 30 of the adjacent board 12. Once two boards 12 are positioned to each other as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the screw, bolt or non-threaded pin may be inserted into the hole 44 at the upper ends of the adjacent boards. This secures these two adjacent boards. Once those two boards 12 are secured to each other, the next adjacent board is installed until all of the boards 12 are attached to each other in a serial manner.
After all of the boards 12 are attached to each other, the posts 18 and the board end receiving members 26, the user may install the upper cap 20 onto the upper ends of the boards 12. In FIG. 4, prior to installing the screw, bolt or non-threaded pin 16 into the hole 40, the cap retaining member 24 may be disposed over the upper ends of the boards 12. The cap retaining member 24 may have holes 40 that match the pattern of holes 40 shown in FIG. 4 formed by the interlocking structures 14. In particular, the holes 40 formed in the cap retaining member 24 may have holes that are spread apart equal to a distance 108 shown in FIG. 4 defined by the holes 40. The cap retaining member 24 may also have holes for securing the cap retaining member 24 to the board end receiving members 26. As shown, two screws may be inserted into those holes and inserted into the cavities provides by the board end receiving members 26.
The various aspects and embodiments described herein have described the screws, bolts or non-threaded pins 36 as engaging the interlocking structure 14. The screws, bolts or non-threaded pins 16 have been described as individual and separate parts. However, it is contemplated that the non-threaded pins 16 may be fabricated as a unitary or welded or attached structure to the cap retaining member 24. These pins may be formed as cylindrical nubs that protrude downward in the cap retaining member 24 shown in FIG. 4 between the flanges 110. These protruding cylindrical nubs may match the holes 40 formed by the interlocking structures 14 of adjacent boards 12. Similar to the upper cap retaining member 24, it is also contemplated that the lower cap retaining member 24 may have the non-threaded pins integrated into the lower cap retaining member 24. In this manner, adjacent boards 12 forms the interlocking structures and the adjacent boards are lowered into the lower cap retaining member 24 so that the non-threaded pin is inserted into the hole 40 at the lower end of the adjacent boards. When the next adjacent board is inserted, the next adjacent board 12 is positioned so that the respective flanges of one board 12 are disposed between the flanges and stopping blocks of the adjacent board. However, the next adjacent board needs to be pushed down so that the pin is disposed between the screw receiving surfaces of both the in place board 12 and the next adjacent board that needs to be installed. Thereafter, the pin, screw or bolt 16 may be inserted into the holes 40 formed in the upper ends of the privacy fence.
Referring now to FIG. 15, an alternate variant of the board 12 a is shown. In FIG. 7, the flange 34 and the stopping block 30 extend from a web 32 of the board in the same direction. However, it is also contemplated that the flange 34 and the stopping block 30 may protrude in opposite directions as shown in FIG. 15 but yet interlock with adjacent boards 12 a. In this regard, the adjacent boards 12 a are not inverted or flip-flopped with each other. Rather, they are all oriented in the same direction. The board 12 a operates in the same manner as that described in relation to the board 12 discussed herein, except that they are not flip-flopped or inverted between immediately adjacent boards 12 a.
The above description is given by way of example, and not limitation. Given the above disclosure, one skilled in the art could devise variations that are within the scope and spirit of the invention disclosed herein, including various ways of securing the board end receiving members to the posts. Further, the various features of the embodiments disclosed herein can be used alone, or in varying combinations with each other and are not intended to be limited to the specific combination described herein. Thus, the scope of the claims is not to be limited by the illustrated embodiments.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. An aluminum privacy fence, the fence comprising:

first and second opposed posts for securing a plurality of boards to a ground;

the plurality of boards being disposed between the end posts, the opposed end boards being attached to the first and second opposed posts, each of the boards having:

opposed first and second end portions, the first end portion of a first board mates with a second end portion of an immediately adjacent second board, each of the end portions having a protruding stopping block that extends from a web of the board and a flange;

wherein the flange of the first end portion of the first board is disposed between the flange and stopping block of the second end portion of the second board and the flange of the second end portion of the second board is disposed between the flange and stopping block of the first end portion of the first board so that the first and second boards cannot move longitudinally with respect to each other;

a plurality of pins inserted between mating curved surfaces formed in the flange of the first end portion of the first board and the flange of the second end portion of the second board.

2. The fence of claim 1 wherein the mating curved surfaces are smooth and a plurality of pins, threaded bolts, threaded screws or combinations thereof are inserted into holes formed by the mating curved surfaces.

3. The fence of claim 1 wherein immediately adjacent boards of the plurality of boards are inverted with respect to each other.

4. The fence of claim 1 wherein the boards have flanges and stopping blocks at opposed distal end portions and the flanges and stopping blocks extend out in the same direction.

5. The fence of claim 1 wherein the mating curved surfaces form a circle when the flange of the first board contacts the stopping block of the second board and the flange of the second board contacts the stopping block of the first board.

6. The fence of claim 1 wherein the flanges and stopping blocks have wedge surfaces which assist in engaging the distal end portions of adjacent boards.

7. The fence of claim 1 wherein the boards are extruded aluminum.

8. The fence of claim 1 wherein distal ends of the flanges contact interior surfaces of the webs of adjacent boards to stop further insertion of the flange of the first board between the stopping block and the flange of the second board.

9. A method of assembling a privacy fence, the method comprising the steps of:

digging two holes in a ground;

inserting two posts in the two holes dug into the ground;

providing a plurality of boards to be disposed between and attached to the two posts

engaging a distal end portion of a board with a distal end portion of an adjacent board to form an interlocking structure;

inserting a pin into a hole formed by the respectively engaged distal end portions of adjacent boards so that the adjacent boards are fixed to each other.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of attaching a lower cap at lower portions of the posts, and installing adjacent boards in the lower cap as an installer attaches all of the plurality of boards to each other starting from one post to the second post.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of inverting adjacent boards.