U.S. patent application number 12/948433 was filed with the patent office on 2011-05-19 for modular fence system.
Invention is credited to Robert W. Stuckel.
Application Number | 20110114910 12/948433 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 44010621 |
Filed Date | 2011-05-19 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110114910 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Stuckel; Robert W. |
May 19, 2011 |
Modular Fence System
Abstract
A modular landscaping and gardening fence system having a
plurality of panels which fasten together by a rod which also
serves to stake the fence into the ground, is disclosed. The panels
include first and second edges with alternating hooked and open
sections such that the two opposing edges of separate panels may be
joined together via a rod. The fence system may be readily erected,
altered and removed. The fence system may be easily expanded or
contracted by changing the number of panels used.
Inventors: |
Stuckel; Robert W.;
(Arlington Heights, IL) |
Family ID: |
44010621 |
Appl. No.: |
12/948433 |
Filed: |
November 17, 2010 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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61262413 |
Nov 18, 2009 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
256/24 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04H 17/10 20130101;
E04H 17/161 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
256/24 |
International
Class: |
E04H 17/16 20060101
E04H017/16; E04H 17/10 20060101 E04H017/10 |
Claims
1. A modular fence system comprising: a plurality of panels having
first and second edges, the first and second edges including
alternating hooked sections and open sections, the hooked sections
and open sections being offset between the first and second edges
such that the hook sections of the first edge align with the open
sections of the second edge and vice versa; and a post for engaging
the hook sections and connecting a first edge of a first panel with
a second edge of another panel; wherein a post connecting two
panels by the hooked sections forms a hinge joint between the two
panels.
2. The modular fence system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of
panels are comprised of a plurality of crisscrossing metal
wires.
3. The modular fence system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of
panels are comprised of a plurality of crisscrossing plastic
wires.
4. The modular fence system of claim 2, wherein the hooked sections
are extensions of the crisscrossing wires.
5. The modular fence system of claim 4, wherein each hooked section
comprises at least four extending wires wherein at least two wires
are curved in a first direction and at least two wires are curved
in a second direction opposite the first direction to form a
retaining hinge.
6. The modular fence system of claim 1, wherein a length of the
post is substantially greater than a height of each of the
plurality of panels.
7. The modular fence system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of
panels are bendable.
8. The modular fence system of claim 7, wherein the plurality of
panels are curvable.
9. The modular fence system of claim 1, wherein the open sections
are larger than the hooked sections.
10. A modular fence system comprising: a plurality of wire panels
each panel having a first and a second edge, the first and second
edges including alternating wire hooked sections and open sections,
the hooked sections and open sections being offset between the
first and second edges, and the hooked sections including at least
two opposing wire hooks to form a retaining hinge; and a post for
connecting a first edge of a first panel with a second edge of
another panel by engaging the retaining hinges of each panel,
wherein an angle formed between adjacent panels is adjustable.
11. The modular fence system of claim 10, wherein the plurality of
panels are comprised of a plurality of crisscrossing metal
wires.
12. The modular fence system of claim 10, wherein the plurality of
panels are comprised of a plurality of crisscrossing plastic
wires.
13. The modular fence system of claim 11, wherein the hooked
sections are extensions of the crisscrossing wires.
14. The modular fence system of claim 13, wherein each hooked
section comprises at least four extending wires wherein at least
two wires are curved in a first direction and at least two wires
are curved in a second direction opposite the first direction to
form a retaining hinge.
15. The modular fence system of claim 10, wherein a length of the
post is substantially greater than a height of each of the
plurality of panels.
16. The modular fence system of claim 10, wherein the plurality of
panels are bendable.
17. The modular fence system of claim 16, wherein the plurality of
panels are curvable.
18. The modular fence system of claim 10, wherein the open sections
are larger than the hooked sections.
Description
RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The present application claims the Nov. 18, 2009 filing
priority of Provisional Application No. 61/262,413, titled "Modular
Fence System" and hereby incorporates the same by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present device relates to a fence system for use in
protecting gardens, young saplings trees, and the like.
Specifically, the device relates to a modular fence system for use
in assorted landscaping projects.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] In today's growing "green" movement, gardening of all kinds
and tree planting have become popular occurrences in rural,
suburban and even urban communities. Gardens are known to be
expensive to maintain due not only to the cost of plants but also
due to the need for upkeep and protection. Likewise, newly planted
trees can be quickly and easily destroyed if not well-protected
early on. One challenge that gardeners and tree-growers have faced
is preventing animals from damaging their plants. In particular,
gnawing and chewing animals such as rabbits are known to cause
substantial damage to gardens by infiltrating the gardens and
eating the plants.
[0004] Fencing off gardens and tree growing areas is a well-known
deterrent and fences are often erected in an attempt to discourage
or prevent animals from entering a garden or getting close to a
tree-sapling. However, many fences can be difficult to install,
particularly for those with little or no experience in fence
building, because of special skills and physical strength which may
be required to build them. Also, fence building is time consuming,
and in many cases may require expensive, specialized tools.
Moreover, many fences require gates to be installed in the fence,
which requires moving parts and additional skill to install.
Traditional fences also are permanent, so that they may be hard to
work around during yard work, such as mowing a lawn or tilling a
garden.
[0005] Wire fencing has been used to prevent animals from
infiltrating yard areas, but the fencing comes in heavy rolls which
can be difficult to handle and the assembly of which very often
requires several special posts to be driven into the ground for
attachment of the resilient fencing to retain a desired shape.
Other known wire fencing can be flimsy, easily damaged, and may be
limited for use over only one growing season.
[0006] The present invention overcomes these and many other
disadvantages of previous fences and fencing devices. The present
system provides a fencing assembly which is easy to construct,
effective against many gnawing and chewing garden pests,
inexpensive and readily adjustable to surround any size and shape
area needed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] There is disclosed herein an improved modular fence system
which avoids the disadvantages of prior devices while affording
additional structural and operating advantages.
[0008] Generally speaking, the present fence system comprises a
plurality of panels having first and second edges, the first and
second edges including alternating hooked sections and open
sections, the hooked sections and open sections being offset
between the first and second edges such that the hook sections of
the first edge align with the open sections of the second edge and
vice versa, and a post for engaging the hook sections and
connecting a first edge of a first panel with a second edge of
another panel. The system is configured such that a post connecting
two panels by the hooked sections forms a hinge joint between the
two panels.
[0009] It is an aspect of an embodiment of the invention wherein
the plurality of panels are comprised of a plurality of
crisscrossing metal wires or a plurality of crisscrossing plastic
wires. Preferably, in other embodiments the hooked sections are
extensions of the crisscrossing wires. Further, each hooked section
comprises at least four extending wires wherein at least two wires
are curved in a first direction and at least two wires are curved
in a second direction opposite the first direction to form a
retaining hinge.
[0010] These and other aspects of the invention may be understood
more readily from the following description and the appended
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of the
subject matter sought to be protected, there are illustrated in the
accompanying drawings embodiments thereof, from an inspection of
which, when considered in connection with the following
description, the subject matter sought to be protected, its
construction and operation, and many of its advantages should be
readily understood and appreciated.
[0012] FIG. 1 is a partial front view of an embodiment of a panel
in accordance with the present invention;
[0013] FIG. 2 is a partial front view of an embodiment of the
present system showing two panels connected by a post;
[0014] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present
modular fencing system erected in a three-sided configuration;
[0015] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present
modular fencing system erected in a six panel per side square
configuration;
[0016] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an embodiment showing a
partial panel in a curved configuration; and
[0017] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an embodiment showing a
partial panel bent to form an angle.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0018] While this invention is susceptible of embodiments in many
different forms, there is shown in the attachments and will herein
be described in detail a preferred embodiment of the invention with
the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered
as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not
intended to limit the broad aspect of the invention to embodiments
illustrated.
[0019] Referring to FIGS. 1-6, there is illustrated multiple
embodiments of a modular fence system, generally designated by the
numeral 10. The fence system 10 is described herein as usable for
the purpose of protecting plants from pests such as rabbits and the
like. While shown in a limited number of sizes, it should be
understood that the present fence system 10 can be designed in
almost an unlimited number of size choices, as will be more clearly
described below.
[0020] The fence system 10 is comprised of a plurality of wire
panels 12 connected one to another by a post 14. The post 14 is
preferably hooked 22 at one end with a pointed, flat tip 24 or
other type of edge at an opposite end for inserting into the soil.
The post 14 is shown as a thin, solid metal rod, but may be a
hollow tube and the post 14 may be constructed from any number of
materials, including plastics, alloys, composite material, or the
like. The post 14 should have a length, measured from the top of
the hooked end to the tip, greater than the height of the panels 12
for which it is to be used. The increased length of the post 14 is
to allow for a determined extent to be inserted into the ground for
securing of the fencing system 10.
[0021] Each panel 12 of the system 10 is comprised of thin, metal
wires preferably woven in a manner to achieve a substantially
rigid, yet bendable panel surface. The panels 12 include a first
side edge 32 and a second side edge 34. Each edge 32 and 34
includes alternating hooked sections 16 and open sections 18 to
create a crenellated appearance. The hooked sections 16 and open
sections 18 are preferably offset between the first and second
edges so as to align one with the other when a first side edge 32
is abutted with a second side edge 34. This configuration allows
the two opposing edges of different panels--i.e., a first edge of
one panel and a second edge of another panel--to align all the
hooked sections 16 to all the open sections 18.
[0022] As shown in FIG. 1, each hooked section 16 includes a
plurality of wire extensions 20, four are shown with short
cross-wires, the ends of which are formed to accept the insertion
of post 14. Preferably, the two end wire extensions 20A and 20D are
bowed or curved in one direction, while the middle two wire
extensions 20B and 20C are bowed or curved in the opposite
direction. The wire extensions 20A-D may be bowed in alternating,
block, or random configurations, so long as each hooked section 16
includes at least one wire extension, and preferably two wire
extensions, bowed in each direction.
[0023] The open sections 18 are preferably slightly larger in area
than the hooked sections 16, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. This gives
each of the connected panels 12 some freedom to move up/down with
the terrain. For example, each hooked section 16 is three wire
blocks long, while each open section 18 is five wire blocks long.
Each is only two blocks wide, but may be made wider if desired. In
fact, each section may be of almost any desired length and width.
These open sections 18 are easily made (or increased) from the
panels 12 by removing the desired number of wire blocks.
[0024] By coupling two panels together at the hooked sections 16
using a post 14, the panels 12 are hinged together and may be
positioned at various angles to one another based on the desired
shape of the fencing system 10 (see FIGS. 3 and 4). The post 14
slides into the alternating bowed wires of each hooked section 16
of the adjoined panels. To close the loop of panels, if desired,
the second edge 34 of the last panel is coupled to the first edge
32 of the first panel. Alternatively, the first and last edges may
be attached to or merely abut a surface of an adjacent structure,
such as a building or fence. As previously mentioned, with
reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, each of the panels 12 is easily
bendable to form curved surfaces or sharp corners, if necessary.
For very large areas, as shown in FIG. 4, adjoining several panels
at angles may achieve the desired shape.
[0025] As mentioned above, the post 14 has two ends, an end for
insertion into the ground 24 and a hooked end 22. The post 14 is
also substantially longer than the height of the panel 12. The
extra length of the post 4 allows the flat end of the post 14,
which may include a point for very hard ground surfaces, to be
forced into the ground to secure the fence in place. The hooked end
of the post 14 prevents the panels 12 from being accidentally
removed from the free end of the post 14 while in use or during
installation.
[0026] The matter set forth in the foregoing description and
accompanying drawings is offered by way of illustration only and
not as a limitation. While particular embodiments have been shown
and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that
changes and modifications may be made without departing from the
broader aspects of applicants' contribution. The actual scope of
the protection sought is intended to be defined in the following
claims when viewed in their proper perspective based on the prior
art.
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