PRIVACY FENCE
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.
Not Applicable
STATEMENT RE: FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH/DEVELOPMENTNot Applicable
BACKGROUNDThe 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 SUMMARYA 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.
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:
and
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
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
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
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 (
The stopping block 30 of the flange 34 may have mating wedge surfaces 44, 46 (see
Referring now to
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
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
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
Referring now to
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
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.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 15, 2019
Publication Date: Feb 18, 2021
Inventor: Michael Rapport (Newport Beach, CA)
Application Number: 16/542,204