FENCE RAIL BRACKET WITH TOOL-LESS FASTENERS
A fence rail bracket assembly for mounting a fence rail to a fence post includes a mounting bracket and at least one retainer clamp that locks to the bracket without using any tools. The mounting bracket mounts to the post, has a bottom wall that supports the rail, and has two sidewalls that receive the rail between them. At least one sidewall coupling element interlocks with at least one clamp coupling element to lock the clamp to the bracket and thereby secure the rail on the bracket. In example embodiments, the bracket assembly includes two clamps each having one coupling element, one clamp having two coupling elements, push-lock coupling elements, slide-lock coupling elements, and angular slide-lock coupling elements.
The benefit of the filing date of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/172,082, filed Apr. 23, 2009, entitled FENCE RAIL BRACKET WITH TOOL-LESS FASTENERS, is hereby claimed, and the specification thereof is incorporated herein by this reference.
TECHNICAL FIELDThe present invention relates generally to fence systems and, in particular, to mounting brackets for attaching fence rails to fence posts.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONTypical fence systems include vertical posts, horizontal rails extending between the posts, and sometimes vertical pickets mounted to the rails. Fence systems with these components molded of vinyl or another plastic have become popular because of their durability and low cost. In such fence systems, plastic brackets are mounted to the posts to support the rails. The brackets are usually mounted to the posts by metal screws, and then metal screws are inserted through holes in the brackets and into the rails to secure the rails to the brackets. The bottom walls of the brackets support the weight of the rails, the sidewalls of the brackets hold the rails in place on the bottom walls, and the screws that secure the rails to the brackets keep the rails from being upwardly dislodged from the brackets. These screws are typically made of very high grade aluminum so that they will not corrode and stain the fencing. But such screws can be expensive.
Accordingly, it can be seen that there is a need in the art for a better way to mount fence rails to fence posts. It is to the provision of a solution meeting these and other needs that the present invention is primarily directed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONGenerally described, the present invention in one aspect provides a fence rail bracket assembly for mounting a fence rail to a fence post. The bracket assembly includes a mounting bracket and at least one retaining clamp that locks to the bracket without using any tools. The mounting bracket mounts to the post, has a bottom wall that supports the rail, and has two sidewalls that receive the rail between them. At least one sidewall coupling element interlocks with at least one clamp coupling element to lock the clamp to the bracket and thereby secure the rail on the bracket. In example embodiments, the bracket assembly includes two clamps each having one coupling element, one clamp having two coupling elements, push-lock coupling elements, slide-lock coupling elements, and angular slide-lock coupling elements.
The specific techniques and structures employed by the invention to improve over the drawbacks of the prior art and accomplish the advantages described herein will become apparent from the following detailed description of example embodiments of the invention and the appended drawings and claims.
Referring to the drawings,
The bracket assembly 10 includes a mounting bracket 18 and two retainer clamps 20 that lock to the bracket, without using any tools, to secure the rail 14 on the bracket. The mounting bracket 18 and the clamps 20 can be packaged together and sold as a kit, or they can be provided individually.
The mounting bracket 18 is preferably molded of vinyl or another plastic in the manner of conventional fence rail brackets made by U.S. Fence and sold nationwide at The Home Depot. In the depicted embodiment, the mounting bracket 18 includes two upstanding sidewalls 24, a rear wall 26 extending inwardly between and/or outwardly from the sidewalls, and a bottom wall 28 extending at least partially between the two sidewalls. The bottom wall 28 has a support surface 30 that supports the weight of the rail 14 and any vertical loading applied to the rail. The sidewalls 24 receive the rail 14 between them to hold the rail in place on the support surface 30. The sidewalls 24 and the bottom wall 28 cooperative to form an upper access opening 22 through which the rail 14 can be lowered (or otherwise non-axially inserted) onto the bracket 18. And the rear wall 26 has apertures for receiving screws 32 for mounting the bracket 18 to the post 16.
In alternative embodiments, the sidewalls and the bottom wall of the bracket form a curve or other shape for use in mounting a curved or other-shaped rail to it, and/or the rear wall of the bracket forms a curve or other shape for use in mounting to a curved or other-shaped post. In other alternative embodiments, more or fewer than two of the clamps are provided, the access opening is located at other than the top of the bracket, the access opening is formed by other portions of the bracket, the bracket includes other elements for mounting to the post, and/or the bracket is made of wood, metal, or another material.
The depicted mounting bracket 18 has dimensions of about 2 inches by 3 inches for use with a rail having cross-sectional dimensions of about 2 inches by 3 inches. (In practice, the rail and bracket have actual dimensions of about 1¾ inches by 2¾ inches, as is common in the industry). In other alternative embodiments, the mounting bracket has other shapes and sizes that are selected based on the shapes and sizes of the rails and posts the mounting bracket is to be used with.
In addition, the mounting bracket 18 and the retainer clamps 20 include mating coupling elements 32 and 34, respectively. The mating coupling elements 32 and 34 interlock without the use of any tools to secure the clamps 20 to the bracket 18. In the depicted embodiment, the mounting bracket coupling element 32 is a female part and the clamp coupling element 34 is a male part that us received by the female mounting bracket coupling element. In addition, the clamp coupling element 34 has one or more resiliently deflectable barbs or other locking structures 36 on an inwardly facing surface 38a and an outwardly facing surface 38b (see
In alternative embodiments, the locking structures of only one of the coupling elements are resiliently deflectable and the locking structures of the other one of the coupling elements are fixed shoulders that do not deflect. In other alternative embodiments, the female coupling element is defined by two walls that resiliently deflect apart/open to receive the male coupling element and then resiliently deflect back/closed to retain the male coupling element. And in still other alternative embodiments, the coupling elements each include only a single locking structure (e.g., one resilient rib and one groove).
Furthermore, the retainer clamps 20 each include a cover wall 44 defining a retaining surface 42 that at least partially blocks the access opening 22 of the bracket 18 when the clamps are locked in place on the brackets 18. The clamp retaining surface 42 need not completely block the access opening 22. Rather, the clamp retaining surface 42 need only obstruct the access opening 22 sufficiently to prevent the rail 14 from fitting through the access opening and being removed from the bracket 18.
In another aspect, the invention includes the fence system 12 with one or more of the fence posts 16, one or more of the fence rails 14, and one or more of the fence rail bracket assemblies described herein. These fence system 12 components, or only some of them, may be packaged together and sold as kits, or they may each be provided individually.
It is to be understood that this invention is not limited to the specific devices, methods, conditions, and/or parameters described and/or shown herein, and that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments by way of example only. Thus, the terminology is intended to be broadly construed and is not intended to be unnecessarily limiting of the claimed invention. In addition, as used in the specification including the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include the plural, plural forms include the singular, and reference to a particular numerical value includes at least that particular value, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Furthermore, any methods described herein are not intended to be limited to the sequence of steps described but can be carried out in other sequences, unless expressly stated otherwise herein.
Moreover, while certain embodiments are described above with particularity, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention. It should be understood, therefore, that the foregoing relates only to exemplary embodiments of the present invention, and that numerous changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.
Claims
1. A fence bracket assembly for use with a fence system including at least one upstanding post and at least one rail that is laterally arranged relative to the post, the bracket assembly comprising:
- two upstanding sidewalls that receive the rail therebetween, wherein at least one of the sidewalls includes a coupling element;
- a rear wall that extends from one or both of the sidewalls and is adapted to mount to the post;
- a bottom wall extending at least partially between the two sidewalls and defining a support surface that supports the rail; and
- at least one retainer clamp including at least one coupling element that locks to the bracket coupling element without using any tools, wherein the bracket defines an access opening through which the rail can be non-axially inserted onto the bracket, and wherein the at least one clamp defines a retaining surface that blocks the rail from being removed through the access opening when the clamp is locked to the bracket.
2. A fence bracket assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the at least one retainer clamp comprises a clamp that spans from one of the sidewalls to the other of the sidewalls of the bracket assembly.
3. A fence bracket assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the at least one retainer clamp comprises two clamps, one of which engages one of the sidewalls and a second of which engages the other of the sidewalls.
4. A fence bracket assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the at least one retainer clamp is serrated or barbed to releasably secure it to one or both of the side walls.
5. A fence bracket assembly as claimed in claim 4 wherein the at least one retainer clamp is partially inserted into a socket formed in at least one of the sidewalls.
6. A fence bracket assembly as claimed in claim 4 wherein the at least one retainer clamp comprises a socket for receiving a barbed or serrated portion of one of the side walls.
7. A fence bracket assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the at least one retainer clamp is secured to one of the sidewalls by moving the retainer clamp vertically relative to the side wall.
8. A fence bracket assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the at least one retainer clamp is secured to one of the sidewalls by moving the retainer clamp essentially horizontally relative to the side wall.
9. A fence bracket assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the at least one retainer clamp is secured to one of the sidewalls by moving the retainer clamp partially horizontally and partially downwardly relative to the side wall.
10. A fence bracket assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the at least one retainer clamp is secured to one of the sidewalls teeth or splines.
11. A fence bracket assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein when the at least one retainer clamp is secured to one of the sidewalls, a smooth outer appearance is obtained.
Type: Application
Filed: May 6, 2009
Publication Date: Oct 28, 2010
Inventor: Ronald D. ERWIN (Fayetteville, GA)
Application Number: 12/436,214
International Classification: E04H 17/14 (20060101);