A gate post

Abstract

A gate post (2, 4) extending in an upright direction and comprising: a bearing frame configured for supporting a gate (3) and a front cover profile. The bearing frame comprises: a gate facing side wall and an opposite side wall; and a front wall and a back wall. The front wall has a recessed area in which the front cover profile is disposed. A horizontal cross-section through the front cover profile is generally C-shaped.

Description

Technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to a gate post and a method for mounting a functional component on such a gate post.Background art

[0002] In the field of outdoor closure systems there are generally two kinds of gate posts, namely a support gate post on which the closure member is attached and a free gate post against which the closure member closes. In view of their different functions, the gate posts are usually different in size, shape, material, rigidity, etc.

[0003] In the context of support gate posts, there are various ways on how to mount the closure member to the gate post. This may involve rail assemblies, hinge assemblies, gate closers, gate actuators, etc. Moreover, for each assembly, various kinds exist. For example, hinges may be front mounted, rear mounted, or side mounted. Gate closers may act on the closure member or on the hinge. Due to the various configurations and in order to ensure the required strength, there is usually only limited space for optional components on the support gate post as addressed in EP 1 482 120.

[0004] In the context of free gate posts, there is a general desire to incorporate functional components in a modular manner in the gate post. Such functional components include access control means (e.g. keypad, videophone, etc.), postal receiving means (e.g. letter box or packet box), identification information (e.g. resident name, house number, etc.), lighting, etc. Examples of such modular gate posts are disclosed in JP 2001 / 262962; JP 2005 / 171660; JP 2006 / 241877; JP 2008 / 280755; and JP 2009 / 094370. A main issue with these kinds of gate posts is that they are not able to support a closure member. Moreover, when a user desires to change the functional components, the entire gate post may be to be revised as there is limited modularity.

[0005] In general, due to the number of possible configurations of closure systems and consumer demands, manufacturers and retailers are required to have a large stock of various gate posts in order to meet consumer needs.Disclosure of the invention

[0006] It is an object of the present invention to provide a gate post which at least partially alleviates one or more of the above-mentioned disadvantages.

[0007] The present invention is generally based on the provision of a gate post having a dedicated bearing frame configured to support a gate. The inventors realized that such a bearing frame enables a single gate post design to be used both as a supporting gate post and a free gate post. This firstly provides gate posts that are similar in size, shape, material, etc. This secondly allows to reduce stock as a single bearing frame may be used for both kinds of gate posts. The aspects of the present invention are further based on providing convenient ways by which to mount various functional and / or structural components onto the bearing frame depending on user needs.

[0008] According to a first aspect of the present invention, this is achieved with a gate post extending in an upright direction and comprising a bearing frame configured for supporting a gate, the bearing frame comprising: a gate facing side wall and an opposite side wall which are mutually parallel and extend in a depth direction between a front edge and a back edge, the depth direction being perpendicular to the upright direction; and a front wall and a back wall which are mutually parallel and extend in a width direction between a gate facing edge and an opposite edge, the width direction being perpendicular to both the upright direction and the depth direction, wherein at least one of the front wall and the back wall comprises a substantially planar area provided with a plurality of cut-outs configured to receive a functional component, wherein a diagonal buttress is provided in each cut-out, the diagonal buttresses being integrally formed with the remainder of the respective wall (i.e. the wall in which the cut-out is formed).

[0009] The first aspect is based on providing preformed cut-outs in the front and / or back wall of the bearing frame. These cut-outs provide dedicated areas in which a functional component can be partially received thus allowing the functional components to extend into the bearing frame. In other words, the outer dimensions of the bearing frame can be maximised (thus improving rigidity and strength) without having to take account of the various functional components that may have to be added.

[0010] Furthermore, as the cut-outs are preformed, there is no need for a mechanic installing the gate post has to create (e.g. by sawing, milling, or the like) an individual and unique cut-out pattern in each bearing frame depending on the user-selected functional components.

[0011] Moreover, the provision of the integrally formed diagonal buttress reduces the negative impact of the cut-outs on the strength and rigidity of the bearing frame. In other words, the provision of the cut-outs naturally causes a reduction in strength and rigidity of the bearing frame. This reduction is decreased as each cut-out has an integrally formed diagonal buttress, which are known as an effective means for transferring forces and preventing buckling. The buttresses are also designed to be removed only when the cut-out in question is to be used for a functional component thus minimizing the rigidity reduction to only cut-outs where a functional component is indeed present.

[0012] According to a second aspect of the present invention, this is achieved with a gate post extending in an upright direction, the gate post comprising: a bearing frame configured for supporting a gate, the bearing frame comprising: a gate facing side wall and an opposite side wall which are mutually parallel and extend in a depth direction between a front edge and a back edge, the depth direction being perpendicular to the upright direction; and a front wall and a back wall which are mutually parallel and extend in a width direction between a gate facing edge and an opposite edge, the width direction being perpendicular to both the upright direction and the depth direction, the front wall having a recessed area, and a front cover disposed in the recessed area and mounted on the bearing frame, the front cover having: a front side extending in the width direction between a first edge and a second edge opposite the first edge; a first upstanding wall section extending in the depth direction away from the first edge between a proximal end contiguous with the first edge and a distal end and a second upstanding wall section extending in the depth direction away from the second edge between a proximal end contiguous with the second edge and a distal end; and a first back wall section extending in the width direction away from the distal end of the first upstanding wall section and a second back wall section extending in the width direction away from the distal end of the second upstanding wall section.

[0013] The second aspect is based on providing a front cover to be disposed in a recess in the front wall of the bearing frame. The front cover has a front side, upstanding sidewalls and two backwall sections so that a horizontal cross-section (i.e. perpendicular to the upright direction) through the front cover is generally C-shaped.

[0014] C-shaped profiles provide, as will be described below, a convenient way to mount functional components to the front cover. In particular, the upstanding sidewalls and / or the backwall sections can be used as anchor points for functional components without having to damage (e.g. by threaded fastening members, welds, etc.) the front (i.e. visible) side of the front cover.

[0015] The C-shape profile and the recess in the front wall are also further convenient to mount the cover to the bearing frame with fastening means that are not visible from the outside of the gate post. This is due to the upstanding sidewalls and / or the backwall sections of the cover profile being overlapping with wall sections of the bearing frame.

[0016] According to a third aspect of the present invention, this is achieved with a gate post extending in an upright direction and comprising a bearing frame configured for supporting a gate, the bearing frame comprising: a gate facing side wall and an opposite side wall which are mutually parallel and extend in a depth direction between a front edge and a back edge, the depth direction being perpendicular to the upright direction; and a front wall and a back wall which are mutually parallel and extend in a width direction between a gate facing edge and an opposite edge, the width direction being perpendicular to both the upright direction and the depth direction, wherein the front wall and the back wall each comprise a substantially planar area provided with: a plurality of opening pairs distributed along the upright direction with the openings of each pair being spaced in the width direction, each opening being dimensioned to receive a threaded fastening member; and for each opening, an associated gap dimensioned to receive a clip nut to be placed in line with the opening, and wherein the gate post comprises a mounting foot positioned inside the bearing frame and configured to be fixed to a ground surface, the mounting foot being fixed to the bearing frame by threaded fastening members extending through at least one opening pair of the front wall into the mounting foot and at least one opening pair of the back wall into the mounting foot.

[0017] The third aspect is based on providing a repeating pattern of opening pairs that allow fastening various functional and / or structural components to the bearing frame. This fastening may be achieved by either directly placing threaded members through an opening pair into a threaded area of the functional or structural component. This fastening may also be achieved by relying on clip nuts placed in alignment with the openings of an opening pair, which clip nuts provide a threaded area for threaded members.

[0018] As the opening pairs are preformed, there is no need for a mechanic installing the gate post has to create (e.g. by sawing, milling, or the like) an individual and unique opening pattern in each bearing frame depending on the user-selected functional and / or structural components.

[0019] In practice, the connection between the gate post and the ground surface on which it is mounted is of paramount importance since all forces exerted on the gate post have to be transferred via the mounting foot to the ground surface. According to the third aspect, at least some of the opening pairs in the bearing frame are used to mount the bearing frame on a mounting foot that is configured to be attached to a ground surface. There is thus firstly a direct connection between the bearing frame and the mounting foot reducing the risk of intermediate elements not being able to handle the forces involved. Secondly, the direct connection also inherently involves overlapping and adjacent wall sections of the bearing frame and the mounting foot thereby creating a large contact area improving force transfer and reducing local pressure.

[0020] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that each cut-out has a mainly rectangular outer contour defining four corners, wherein areas where the diagonal buttress is contiguous with the remainder of the respective wall are adjacent to the corners.

[0021] The corners of the cut-outs are thus preformed and not obstructed by any buttress. This means that a mechanic installing the gate post and having to remove one or more buttresses does not need to worry about making a correct corner. This thus reduces the error risk involved.

[0022] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that the mainly rectangular outer contour has two opposing sidewalls which are mainly extending in the upright direction, wherein the contiguous areas coincide with parts of the sidewalls.

[0023] In order to remove the buttresses, there is only need to remove material in the upright direction (e.g. with a circular saw) thus avoiding the risk with horizontal material removal that a corner of the bearing frame is damaged.

[0024] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that each cut-out is provided with two diagonal buttresses crossing one another.

[0025] This improves the strength and rigidity of the bearing frame.

[0026] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that each cut out is symmetrical about a middle upright plane perpendicular to the width direction and / or about a middle horizontal plane perpendicular to the upright direction.

[0027] This avoids local pressure build-ups that could ensue from asymmetric cut-outs, which build-ups could lead to buckling of the bearing frame.

[0028] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that the two diagonal buttresses crossing one another form a substantial X-shape.

[0029] This shape combines the benefits of two buttresses with the symmetrical design that minimizes buckling.

[0030] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that each cut-out has a mainly rectangular outer contour having two opposing upright sidewalls which are mainly extending in the upright direction and having a height and two opposing horizontal sidewalls which are mainly extending in the width direction and having a width, wherein: at most 50% of a middle area of the cut-out delimited by the two opposing horizontal sidewalls is occupied by the diagonal buttresses; and / or a largest distance between each horizontal sidewalls and the diagonal buttresses in the upright direction is at least 25% of the height; and / or a largest distance between each horizontal sidewalls and the diagonal buttresses in the upright direction is at least 5 mm.

[0031] In these embodiments, the middle vertical area of the cut-out is left sufficiently open to allow placing a clip nut therethrough and onto a horizontal edge of the cut-out.

[0032] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that the bearing frame is integrally formed, preferably by cold rolling steel or extruding aluminium.

[0033] This improves the strength and rigidity of the bearing frame.

[0034] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that all cut-outs are substantially identical.

[0035] This aids in design flexibility and modularity as the functional components, when tailored to the one cut-out shape, can be placed anywhere on the bearing frame.

[0036] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that said cut-outs are provided in both the front wall and the back wall, wherein the cut-outs in the front wall are preferably aligned in the upright direction and / or the width direction with respective cut-outs in the back wall.

[0037] Functional components can thus be placed on both sides of the bearing frame and even through the bearing frame in view of the advantageous cut-out alignment.

[0038] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that the gate post comprises at least one functional component disposed in a cut-out having its diagonal buttress removed, the functional component being at least one of: access control means, such as a keypad, a videophone, a camera, fingerprint scanner, touch screen, etc., a letterbox, dwelling identification information, resident identification information, a lock, lighting means, and an electrical enclosure.

[0039] This provides a user with the desired choice in functionality.

[0040] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that: the front wall and the back wall of the bearing frame both have a recessed area in which the substantially planar area is formed; and / or the bearing frame has four outer corners with a cross-section through each corner in a plane perpendicular to the upright direction is generally U-shaped.

[0041] This improves the strength and rigidity of the bearing frame as the bearing frame has rigid corner sections with parallel wall sections. The recessed area in essence also causes parallel wall sections. An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that: the openings in the front wall are aligned in the upright direction and / or the width direction with respective openings in the back wall; and / or each opening pair is symmetrical about a middle upright plane perpendicular to the width direction; and / or the opening of each opening pair closest to the gate facing side wall are aligned with one another in the upright direction and the opening of each opening pair farthest from the gate facing side wall are aligned with one another in the upright direction, wherein the associated gaps preferably have a same symmetry as the opening pairs.

[0042] This aids in design flexibility and modularity as a same mounting tool (e.g. mounting rail or bar) can be used at any height along the bearing frame.

[0043] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that the mounting foot has a height of at least 15 cm and is fixed to the bearing frame by using at least two opening pairs in the front wall and at least two opening pairs in the back wall.

[0044] The bearing frame is thus fixed to the mounting foot at different heights leading to a stronger and more robust connection.

[0045] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that the mounting foot comprises threaded areas to receive the threaded fastening members, the threaded areas being formed either: by tapping a thread directly in a wall of the mounting foot; or by the provision of a non-circular nut element which is preferably slidably placed in an elongated slot in the mounting foot, which slot extends in the upright direction.

[0046] This provides various options to make the threaded area (e.g. tapping it directly, providing a slidable nut element or even using a nut element which is clipped or otherwise fastened to the mounting foot) allowing more choices in which material to manufacture the mounting foot from.

[0047] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that the associated gaps for each opening pair are jointly formed by an elongated slot extending in the width direction, wherein each slot is adjacent an opening pair and spaced therefrom in the upright direction.

[0048] An elongated slot is advantageous as it allow sliding the clip nut into the desired position. It may also be easier to provide sufficient space for inserting the clip nut into the slot sideways of the opening pairs.

[0049] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that: each opening pair and associated elongated slot are identical to one another; and / or the opening pairs and associated elongated slots in the front wall are aligned in the upright direction and / or the width direction with respective opening pairs and associated elongated slots in the back wall.

[0050] This aids in design flexibility and modularity as a same mounting tool (e.g. mounting rail or bar) can be used at any height along the bearing frame and on both sides of the bearing frame.

[0051] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that the gate post further comprises at least one holding rail set configured to hold a cover profile against the bearing frame, the holding rail set comprising: at least one clip nut (preferably two clip nuts) mounted in the associated gap(s) of an opening pair and each in line with one opening of the opening pair; a holding rail extending in the width direction and fixed to the bearing frame by one or more threaded fixation members extending into the clip nut(s).

[0052] The holding rail sets are a convenient way to fasten cover profiles to the bearing frame using the provided the opening pairs. Whilst a single clip nut may suffice, the use of two clip nuts is preferred as this offers a more secure connection. Moreover, for alignment purposes, when only a single clip nut is used, the holding rail has to comprise a further pin, protrusion, gap or the like that interacts with the bearing frame to ensure proper alignment of the holding rail.

[0053] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that: the holding rail has upstanding edges at its opposing ends which extend away from the bearing frame in the depth direction, the upstanding edges comprising leaf spring members configured to hold the cover profile to bearing frame; and / or the gate post further comprises the cover profile held against the bearing frame by means of a plurality of holding rails, wherein preferably a cross-section through the cover profile in a hypothetical plane perpendicular to the upright direction is substantially C-shaped.

[0054] The holding rail sets are a convenient way to make use of the C-shaped cover profiles and the opening pairs in the bearing frame to attach the front and / or rear cover to the bearing frame. The leaf spring edges further hold the cover profile in place without a user holding the cover in place.

[0055] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that the gate post comprises a structural element mounted in an upper part of the bearing frame with at least a part of the structural element being inside the bearing frame, wherein the inside part of the structural element has a first wall adjacent the front wall and a second wall adjacent the back wall and wherein the inside part of the structural element is fixed to the bearing frame by threaded fastening members extending through at least one opening pair of the front wall into the first wall of the structural element and at least one opening pair of the back wall into the second wall of the structural element.

[0056] The opening pairs thus allow to fix structural elements directly into the bearing frame. This direct connection is robust and rigid and avoids fastening members that are visible from the outside of the finished gate post.

[0057] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that: the first wall and the second wall of the structural element comprise threaded areas to receive the threaded fastening members, the threaded areas being particularly formed by the provision of a non-circular nut element slidably placed in an elongated slot in the wall, which slot extends in the upright direction; and / or the structural element is at least one of: a top cover, a gate closer, a gate actuator, and a hinge assembly.

[0058] The non-circular nut elements avoid having to manually tap a thread, whilst the elongated slots allow leeway in the upright direction. This further provides a user with the desired choice in functionality.

[0059] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that a further opening is provided for each opening pair, which further opening is in line with its respective pair in the width direction and is located between the openings of its respective pair, each further opening being dimensioned to receive a threaded fastening member.

[0060] These further openings are useful in cases where the opening pair is partially inaccessible.

[0061] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that the gate post further comprises: a first clip nut mounted in one of the further openings and a second clip nut mounted in another one of the further openings; and a functional component or structural component mounted on the bearing frame by means of threaded fastening members extending into said first and second clip nut.

[0062] This further enhances the ways in which to mount functional components or structural components to the bearing frame and in turn leads to more choice in functionality for the user.

[0063] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that the functional component is at least one of: an electrical enclosure which comprises a base housing and a closing cover having a substantially rectangular shape, wherein the base housing and the closing cover are joined in the corners of the rectangular shape, which corners overlap with openings of the opening pairs of the respective further openings; or a cover lock configured to lock a cover profile to the bearing frame.

[0064] The base of the electrical enclosure is thus securely fixed to the bearing frame, whilst the closing cover is fixed in all corners to the base housing thus leading to a leak-proof enclosure. The cover lock improves security as an unauthorized person cannot remove the cover plate without damaging the gate post.

[0065] It will be readily appreciated that the further openings may also be used in mounting or further securing any component fixed to the bearing frame by means of the opening pairs. Examples are a holding rail, the mounting foot, a gate closer or actuator, a top cover, etc.

[0066] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that the gate post further comprises at least two mounting blocks each engaging the front cover and configured to mount a functional component onto the front cover, wherein the mounting blocks are preferably part of a single mounting bar.

[0067] The mounting blocks allow for a flexible placement and require minimal space to be placed. A mounting bar has the advantage that unwanted rotation is prevented. More specifically, as the mounting bar is fixed in two places, any tightening of a threaded member will not rotate the mounting bar.

[0068] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that the mounting blocks are spaced apart in the width direction so that a first mounting block is adjacent the first upstanding wall section and a second mounting block is adjacent the second upstanding wall section, each mounting block being provided with holes, wherein preferably the at least one mounting bar extends between a first end adjacent the first upstanding wall section and a second end adjacent the second upstanding wall section, and in that the gate post further comprises a functional component having a housing which is fixed to the mounting blocks by means of threaded fixation members extending into the hole.

[0069] The use of mounting blocks with holes therein allows fastening the functional component to the rear (i.e. invisible) side of the cover profile without the need for externally visible fasteners.

[0070] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that the first back wall section and the second back wall section are clamped between the mounting blocks and the housing of the functional component.

[0071] This clamping is a secure and robust way to fix a functional component to a C-shaped profile. It also minimizes unwanted deformation which could be caused by relying on the upstanding side wall sections for fastening the functional component. It also avoids the need for externally visible threaded fastening members.

[0072] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that the holes have a screw threaded area, wherein the screw threaded area is preferably formed by non-circular nut elements inserted in corresponding slots in the mounting blocks.

[0073] Providing the threaded area results in an easier assembly as no threads have to be tapped during assembly. It also avoids potential risks (e.g. misalignment) involved with such tapping. The slots with nuts therein allow for some leeway to better align the functional component with the cover profile.

[0074] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that the gate post comprises the functional component is one of: access control means, such as a keypad, a videophone, a camera, fingerprint scanner, a touchscreen, etc., a letterbox, dwelling identification information, resident identification information, lighting means, and a cover lock.

[0075] This provides a user with the desired choice in functionality.

[0076] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that a locking cylinder is interposed between the bearing frame and the cover and is configured to lock the cover to the bearing frame.

[0077] The key cylinder improves security as an unauthorized person cannot remove the cover plate without damaging the gate post.

[0078] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that the rear wall has a recessed area in which a rear cover is disposed, the rear cover being preferably substantially identical to the front cover.

[0079] The advantages described above with respect to the second aspect of the present invention are now obtained both for the front wall and the back wall.

[0080] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that the gate post comprises a top cover mounted on the top of the gate post, the top cover having a rim edge extending away from the top of the gate post, wherein an upper area of the front cover and / or the rear cover engages an inside of the rim edge.

[0081] The top cover thus acts as a holding system to hold the front and / or rear cover profile to the bearing frame.

[0082] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that the gate post further comprises a top cover mounting bracket fixed to the inside of the recessed areas of the front wall and the rear wall with the top covering being fastened to the top cover mounting bracket.

[0083] This top cover mounting bracket allows fixing the top cover to the bearing frame with nearly no visible external elements.

[0084] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that the gate post further comprises: a reinforcement bar extending in the depth direction between a front end and a back end and positioned adjacent an inner side of the gate facing side wall of the bearing frame with the front end adjacent the front edge and with the back end adjacent the back edge; and a hinge mounted on the gate facing side wall of the bearing frame and preferably fixed to the reinforcement bar.

[0085] The reinforcement bar ensures that the bearing frame, i.e. the gate facing side wall, is locally sufficiently strong to be able to bear the weight of the closure member via the hinge assemblies.

[0086] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that the bearing frame is provided with: a bottom holding rail with the first back wall section and the second back wall section being positioned between the bottom holding rail and the bearing frame; and / or at least one holding rail extending in the width direction, each rail having upstanding edges at its opposing ends which extend away from the bearing frame in the depth direction, the upstanding edges comprising leaf spring members which engage a respective one of the first and second back wall section of the front cover.

[0087] These holding rails are meant to hold the cover profile(s) to the bearing frame by means of their C-shaped cross-section. The cover profiles are thus mounted to the bearing frame without requiring externally visible elements.

[0088] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that: the front cover is integrally formed, in particular by folding a metal plate; and / or the front side of the cover is flush with the non-recessed area of the front wall.

[0089] Integrally forming the cover profiles improves their rigidity and strength. A flush cover is typically desired by users in order to have an aesthetically pleasing view. It also reduces injury risk associated with protruding components.

[0090] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that the first edge and / or the second edge of the front cover are spaced apart from the non-recessed area of the front wall, and in that the first and / or second upstanding wall section are indented with respect to a respective one of the first edge and the second edge to allow placing a LED strip therein.

[0091] The gate post is thus provided with one or two upright LED strips. These not only act as a nice aesthetically pleasing view, they may also be used as warning signals when the closure member is opening.

[0092] The present invention further relates to various methods for mounting a functional component on a gate post described above. These methods may involve one or more of the following steps: providing the functional component; removing the diagonal buttresses in at least one cut-out and optionally removing the part of the wall dividing two adjacent cut-outs thus creating an open area; inserting at least a part of the functional component into the open area placing clip nuts in an associated gap in alignment with openings of an opening pair or providing threaded areas in the functional component (this threaded area could also be formed by using self-tapping fasteners); fixing the functional component to the bearing frame by applying threaded fastening members which engage either in the clip nuts or extend through openings of an opening pair into the threaded areas of the functional component; positioning a mounting bar on an inner side of the front cover, the mounting bar having opposing ends which are adjacent respective ones of the upstanding wall sections; fixing the functional component to the mounting bar by means of threaded fixation members extending through the housing and into threaded areas of the mounting bar thereby clamping the back wall sections between the mounting bar and the housing; positioning the front cover in the recessed area; and securing the front cover to the bearing frame.

[0093] These methods allow easily mounting various functional components to the cover profiles and / or bearing frame of the gate post.

[0094] It will be readily appreciated that, as will also become evident from the further description, that the above mentioned aspects of the invention and the various embodiments (incl. preferred, more preferred, advantageous, more advantageous, alternative, etc. embodiment and / or other optionally indicated features) should not be limited to individual elements, but may be combined with one another to achieve even other embodiments than those already described, which embodiments may also be part of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.Brief description of the drawings

[0095] The invention will be further explained by means of the following description and the appended figures. Figure 1A shows a first embodiment of a closure system comprising gate posts according to the present invention. Figure 1B shows a second embodiment of a closure system comprising gate posts according to the present invention. Figure 2 shows a perspective view of a bearing frame which is part of a gate post according to the present invention. Figure 3 shows a detail front view of the bearing frame of figure 2. Figure 4 shows an exploded view of a mounting foot and bearing frame of a gate post according to the present invention. Figure 5 shows a horizontal cross-section through the assembled mounting foot and bearing frame of figure 4. Figure 6 shows an exploded view of an alternative mounting foot and bearing frame of a gate post according to the present invention Figures 7A and 7B illustrate placing a clip nut on the bearing frame of a gate post according to the present invention. Figure 8 shows a side view of the clip nut used in figures 7A and 7B. Figure 9 shows an exploded view of an electrical enclosure and bearing frame of a gate post according to the present invention. Figure 10 shows an exploded view of a top cover and bearing frame of a gate post according to the present invention. Figure 11 shows a horizontal cross-section through the assembled top cover and bearing frame of figure 12. Figure 12 shows an side view of a gate closer mounted on a bearing frame of a gate post according to the present invention. Figure 13 shows a detail of a hinge mounted on a bearing frame of a gate post according to the present invention. Figure 14 shows an exploded view of figure 13. Figure 15 shows a front view of a cover plate which is part of a gate post according to the present invention. Figure 16 shows a horizontal cross-section through the cover plate of figure 15. Figure 17 shows an exploded view of a functional component and cover plate of a gate post according to the present invention. Figure 18 shows a detail of a horizontal cross-section through the assembled functional component and cover of figure 17. Figure 19 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a gate post according to the present invention with a functional component. Figure 20 shows a detail of an exploded view of the gate post of figure 19. Figure 21 shows a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a gate post according to the present invention with a functional component. Figure 22 shows an exploded view of the gate post of figure 21. Figure 23 shows an exploded view of a gate post according to the present invention. Figures 24A and 24B show details of the top and bottom of figure 23. Figure 25 shows an exploded view of figure 24B. Figure 26 shows a horizontal cross-section through the assembled gate post of figure 23. Figure 27 shows a detail of figure 26. Figure 28 shows a detail of an exploded view of a cover profile with lock to be mounted on the bearing frame as part of a gate post according to the present invention. Figure 29 shows a detail of a rear view of the cover profile of figure 28. Figure 30 shows a detail of the bearing frame of figure 28. Figure 31 shows a morticed bolt keep mounted in a gate post according to the present invention. Figure 32 shows an exploded view of figure 31. Figure 33 shows a surface-mounted bolt keep mounted in a gate post according to the present invention. Figure 34 shows an exploded view of figure 33. Figures 35A to 35C schematically illustrate alternative cut-out and opening patterns. Figure 36 schematically illustrates an alternative mounting bar for the cover profile. Description of the invention

[0096] The present invention will be described with respect to particular embodiments and with reference to certain drawings but the invention is not limited thereto but only by the claims. The drawings described are only schematic and are non-limiting. In the drawings, the size of some of the elements may be exaggerated and not drawn on scale for illustrative purposes. The dimensions and the relative dimensions do not necessarily correspond to actual reductions to practice of the invention.

[0097] Furthermore, the terms first, second, third and the like in the description and in the claims, are used for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a sequential or chronological order. The terms are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances and the embodiments of the invention can operate in other sequences than described or illustrated herein.

[0098] Moreover, the terms top, bottom, over, under, left, right, front, back, and the like in the description and the claims are used for descriptive purposes. The terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances and the embodiments of the invention described herein can operate in other orientations than described or illustrated herein.

[0099] Furthermore, the various embodiments, although referred to as "preferred" are to be construed as exemplary manners in which the invention may be implemented rather than as limiting the scope of the invention.

[0100] The term "substantially" comprises variations of + / - 10% or less, preferably + / - 5% or less, more preferably + / - 1% or less, and even more preferably + / - 0.1% or less, of the specified state, as far as the variations are applicable to function in the present invention. It is to be understood that the term "substantially A" is intended to include "A".

[0101] The invention generally relates to a gate post configured for mounting a closure member and / or various functional components thereon. Such a gate post is commonly used as part of an outdoor closure system. Figures 1A and 1B illustrate two embodiments of such a closure system which both comprise multiple gate posts according to the present invention.

[0102] Figure 1A shows a first closure system 1 comprising a support gate post 2 which acts as a support for a moveable, in particular pivotable, closure member 3, such as a gate, a door, or a window. The closure member 3 is connected to the gate post by means of hinges 5. The closure system 1 comprises a free gate post 4 so that a cooperating lock 6 and keeper assembly 7 may be provided. The first closure system 1 is also illustrated in figures 31 and 32. Figure 1B shows a second closure system 1' having the same main components, namely gate post 2, closure member 3, second gate post 4, hinges 5, lock 6 and keeper 7.

[0103] The hinges 5 in the closure systems 1, 1' can be any kind of hinges known in the art and may particularly be eyebolt hinges for example as disclosed in EP 1 528 202, EP 2 778 331 or EP 3 162 997 the content of which are incorporated herein by reference. The lock 6 is typically provided on the closure member 2 and may be morticed therein as disclosed in EP 2 186 974, EP 3 153 645, and EP 4 159 962 the content of which are incorporated herein by reference. Alternatively, the lock 6 may be surface mounted on the closure member 2 as disclosed in EP 1 118 739, EP 2 915 939, and EP 4 191 007 the content of which are incorporated herein by reference. The keeper 7 is typically provided on the second gate post 4. The keeper 7 may be morticed in the second gate post 4 as shown in figures 31 and 32, i.e. the keeper 7 is largely inserted in an elongated slot 10 provided in the free gate post 4. In an alternative embodiment, as shown in figures 33 and 34, the keeper 7 may be surface mounted on the second gate post 4, e.g. by means of fixture sets 23 fitting in openings 14 provided in the free gate post 4. Examples of suitable morticed or surface mounted keepers 7 are disclosed in EP 1 600 584, EP 3 109 381, EP 3 153 645, EP 3 239 440, EP 3 421 695, EP 4 159 962, and EP 4 245 951, and unpublished European patent application 23214044.2 the content of which are incorporated herein by reference. Examples of suitable fixture sets for fixing a surface mounted keeper to the free gate post are disclosed in WO 2007 / 009998 or WO 2019 / 228896 and unpublished international patent application PCT / EP2023 / 069721 the content of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0104] The main difference between the closure systems 1, 1' is that, in closure system 1', various functional components 8 (e.g. access control, dwelling information, etc.) are incorporated in the second gate post 4, whereas such functional components are not included in closure system 1.

[0105] The general directions and orientations are also indicated in figures 1A and 1B. More specifically, there is the upright direction 15, the width direction 16 and the depth direction 17. These three directions 15, 16, 17 are generally substantially perpendicular to one another. The upright direction 15 in practice substantially coincides with the vertical direction. The width and dept directions 16, 17 together form a substantially horizontal plane.

[0106] In general, each gate post 2, 4 has four walls. More specifically, each gate post has: a gate facing wall which faces the closure member 3, an opposite wall facing away from the closure member 3, a front wall which normally faces outward from the enclosed area, and a back wall which normally faces the enclosed area. In figures 1A and 1B, the gate facing wall of gate post 2 is on the right and the gate facing wall of gate post 4 is the left. The back wall is not visible in figures 1A and 1B. Functional components such as access control, dwelling information, resident information, etc. are usually accessible from the front wall of the gate post 4.

[0107] The gate post according to the present invention may be generally used for both a support gate post 2 and a free gate post 4 and generally comprises the following structural components: a bearing frame 11, a front cover and a back cover 12 (both will be designated with the same reference number), and a mounting foot 29. The gate post is designed in order to allow various structural and / or functional components to be mounted thereon and / or integrated therein. In what follows, the bearing frame 11 will be mainly described with respect to figures 2 to 14 with alternative presented in figures 35A to 35C; the front and back covers 12 which are generally substantially identical will be mainly described with respect to figures 15 to 30 with an alternative presented in figure 36; and the functional and / or structural components will be described in relation to on what structural component they are mounted.

[0108] The bearing frame 11 is generally shown in figure 2 and extends in the upright direction 15. As indicated in figure 11, the bearing frame 11 has a gate facing wall 18, an opposite wall 19, a back wall 20 and a front wall 21. The gate facing wall and its opposing wall 18, 19 both extend between a front edge 18a, 19a and a back edge 18b, 19b. Likewise, the front wall and the back wall 20, 21 both extend between a gate facing edge 20a, 21a and an opposite edge 20b, 21b. Naturally, some of these edges coincide with one another, namely: the front edge 18a and the gate facing edge 21a; the front edge 19a and the opposite edge 21b; the rear edge 18b and the gate facing edge 20a; and the rear edge 19b and the opposite edge 20b.

[0109] The bearing frame 11 is the main structural component of the gate post 10 and as such needs to be able to bear the weight and forces associated with a closure member 3 mounted thereon. In order to achieve the desired strength and rigidity, the bearing frame 11 is generally an integrally formed component. This may be achieved by extruding the bearing frame 11 from a metal, e.g. aluminium. This may also be achieved by hot-rolling or cold-rolling a seamless metal, e.g. steel, tube. The various openings and cut-outs described later may be created by removing excess material (e.g. by laser cutting, milling, etc.) from the extruded, hot rolled or cold rolled metal tube. Various thicknesses may be used for the metal of the bearing frame 11 with suitable values being between 1 mm and 1 cm, for example 2 mm, 3 mm, 4 mm, 5 mm, 6 mm, 7 mm, 8 mm or 9 mm. The thickness depends also on the specific metal used and the manufacturing technique.

[0110] Another important aspect in achieving the desired strength and rigidity, is the cross-sectional shape of the bearing frame 11 in the horizontal plane. This shape is best shown in figure 11 and is generally I shaped. This shape is caused by recessed areas 22 in the front and back wall 20, 21. The result is that each corner of the bearing frame 11 comprises two parallel wall sections with a 180° fold. Due to this shape, each corner has a high rigidity and strength and does not easily buckle under high pressure. As an example, each parallel wall section may overlap in the depth direction 17 for about 1 cm to 3 cm and may be separated by a distance in the width direction 16 of about 0,5 cm to 2 cm. Naturally other specific dimensions are possible and linked with the material selection. This shape provides a very high rigidity thus avoiding to use very thick metal sheets (e.g. 2 cm or more) to form the bearing frame 11. Such thickness, while providing the desired strength and rigidity, would negatively impact the weight, costs, size, etc. of the bearing frame 11.

[0111] As shown in figure 2, both the rear wall 20 and the front wall 21 of the bearing frame 11 are provided with a recessed area 22 which forms a substantially flat area in which a repeating pattern of openings is provided. The repeating patter is better shown in figure 3. Although it is advantageous to provide this opening pattern in both walls 20, 21, the present invention should not necessarily be limited to this embodiment. Embodiments where only the rear wall 20 or the front wall 21 comprises a repeating pattern of openings are also envisage. Moreover, although the recessed area 22 is advantageous for various reasons (e.g. improve rigidity of the bearing frame 11 as set out above or to dispose a cover profile therein as described below), the repeating pattern of openings could also be used in non-recessed bearing frame 11 where the rear wall 20 and / or the front wall 21 are substantially planar between their edges.

[0112] As shown in figure 3, the repeating pattern of openings comprises a mainly rectangular cut-out 24 with three openings 25, 26 adjacent the cut-out in the upright direction 15. The rectangular cut-out 24 has an upper edge 24a, a lower edge 24b, a gate facing edge 24c, an opposite edge 24d, and four corners 24e. Each cut-out 24 is provided with two diagonal buttresses 27 that are integrally formed with the remainder of the wall 20, 21 in which the repeating pattern of openings is provided. The diagonal buttresses 27 improve rigidity and strength of the bearing frame 11 in comparison to a similar bearing frame where each cut-out is fully free of material.

[0113] In the illustrated embodiment of figure 3, the two diagonal buttresses 27 form a substantially X-shaped pattern. Likewise, each rectangular cut-out 24 is symmetrical about a middle upright plane as well as a middle horizontal plane. This symmetry aids in providing a flexible design bearing frame 11 that may be used for supporting closure members on either side. Asymmetry may lead to a local pressure differences that may be more susceptible to buckling, crumpling, etc. (i.e. unwanted deformation).

[0114] The main purpose of the rectangular cut-outs 24 is to provide space in the wall 20, 21 to allow a functional component to extend into the bearing frame 11. To this end, a mechanic installing the gate post 2, 4 has to manually remove the buttresses 27 of one or more cut-outs 24. This may be most easily achieved by sawing the footpoint edges of each buttress 27, e.g. using a circular saw tool. This avoids that complex tools (e.g. a laser cutter) are needed. In this respect, it is advantageous to have the footpoint edges of each buttress 27 in the upright edges 24c, 24d as compared to having these in the horizontal edges 24a, 24b where an uncareful sawing operation could damage the corners of the I-beam bearing frame 11.

[0115] The main purpose of the opening 25, 26 is to fix functional and / or structural components to the bearing frame 11. Different reference numbers have been used to denote the three openings, namely reference number 25 for the outermost openings which will further be referenced as the opening pair, and reference number 26 for the central opening. As will be described below, the opening pairs 25 are mainly used to fix structural components (e.g. a mounting foot, a top cover, front and back covers, a hinge assembly, a gate closer or actuator, etc.) to the bearing frame 11 whereas the central opening 26 is mainly used to fix functional components (e.g. a cover lock, an electrical enclosure, etc.) to the bearing frame 11. However, this division need not be exclusive and the central opening 26 is typically used when one of the openings of the opening pair 25 is not available or accessible.

[0116] Each opening 25, 26 is dimensioned to receive a threaded fastening member. In this context, the use of circular openings 25, 26 is advantageous, albeit not necessary. In the illustrated embodiment, the openings 25, 26 are dimensioned to receive M8 threaded fastening members.

[0117] In the illustrated embodiment of figure 3, the opening pairs 25 are symmetrical about the middle upright plane and the opening pairs 25 are mutually aligned in the upright direction 15. This allows identical structural end / or functional components to be fixed on the bearing frame 11 at different height locations without modification. It will be appreciated that the opening pairs 25 could be misaligned with the width direction with tolerances of up to 10° offset being possible so that either the left or the right opening is higher or lower than the other.

[0118] As the openings 25, 26 are made in a relatively thin metal plate, it is challenging to provide a thread therein. To this end, clip nuts 28 are provided. An example of such a clip nut 28 is shown in figure 8. The clip nut 28 generally has a clip section 28a and a nut section 28b which provides an inner threaded area. The clip section 28a is formed by a U-shaped member in the illustrated embodiment so that this may easily be clipped on a free edge of the mainly rectangular cut-out 24.

[0119] Placing such a clip nut 28 on the bearing frame 11 is illustrated in figures 7A and 7B. From these figures, it is clear that the clip nut 28 cannot be simply placed on one of the opening pairs 25 directly due to the lack of space caused by the presence of the diagonal buttresses 27. However, the middle area A (indicated in figure 3) of each cut-out 24 is relatively open thus allowing to place the clip nut 28 on the horizontal sidewall 24a, 24b first and then slide it along this sidewall to align with the opening pair 25. In order to provide sufficient space for the clip nuts 28, it is advantageous if the buttresses 27 occupy at most 50% of the middle area A. The same may be achieved by having the maximal separation distance d between the buttresses 27 and the sidewalls 24a, 24b at least 1 cm or at least 25% of the height H of the cut-out 24.

[0120] In the illustrated embodiment, the height H of a cut-out 24 may be anywhere between 3 cm and 15 cm, for example 5 cm, 6 cm or 7 cm. The height H i of the central part of the diagonal buttresses 27 is dependent on the height H of the cut-out and may for example be 2 cm or 3 cm. The width W of a cut-out may be anywhere between 5 cm and 30 cm, for example 8 cm or 10 cm or 12 cm.

[0121] Some alternative repeating pattern of openings are schematically shown in figures 35A to 35C. In these alternatives, the central opening 26 is not present, but may be included if desired.

[0122] In figure 35A, the circular opening pairs 25 are replaced with square opening pairs 25 and the X-shaped diagonal buttresses 27 are replaced by H-shaped diagonal buttresses 27. The advantage of this design is that the buttresses 27 occupy more of the rectangular cut-out 24 thus improving rigidity of the bearing frame 11. However, the trade-off is that clip-nuts are not easily positioned due to a lack of space.

[0123] In figure 35B, the main difference is two-fold. Firstly, there is only a single diagonal buttress 27 per cut-out. Secondly, the corners of the cut-out are not fully formed as the diagonal buttress 27 runs from corner to corner. This design has several disadvantages, namely it requires sawing in two perpendicular directions to remove the diagonal buttress 27 and it may lead to an asymmetrical force distribution especially when various cut-outs 24 are cleared leaving nearly only left-right downwards buttresses (upper form in figure 35B) or nearly only left-right upwards buttresses (lower form in figure 35B). However, the repeating pattern may be easier to form when compared to the X-shaped buttresses 27 of figure 3.

[0124] In figure 35C, each cut-out 24 is provided with a V-shaped buttress 27 or an inverse V-shaped buttress 27. However, if two adjacent cut-outs 24 are considered in combination, the resulting rectangular cut-out (denoted by a dotted line in figure 35C) has diagonal buttresses 27 in a cross-shape. The opening pairs 25 in figure 35C are also in the form of a rhombus in which a cage nut or the like may be inserted to provide a threaded area.

[0125] In general, as part of the present invention, all functional and / or structural components may be mounted to the bearing frame 11 only by means of threaded fastening members, clip nuts 28 and sawing to remove excess buttresses 27. Importantly, no welding is required. As such, the entire bearing frame 11 can have its final finish (e.g. powder lack) already applied during the manufacturing process.

[0126] In order to connect the bearing frame 11 with the ground surface on which the gate post 2, 4 is mounted, a mounting foot is provided. A first kind of mounting foot is not visible from the exterior of the gate post 2, 4 as in the closure system 1 shown in figure 1A. This invisible mounting foot is described in relation to figures 4 and 5. A second kind of mounting foot is partially visible from the exterior of the gate post 2, 4 as in the closure system 1 shown in figure 1B. This flange-based mounting foot is described in relation to figure 6. The mounting foot is regarded as a structural component of the gate post 2, 4.

[0127] Figure 4 illustrates a first mounting foot 29 designed to be non-visible from the outside of the gate post 2, 4. The mounting foot 29 has a general H-shaped horizontal cross-section best shown in figure 5 with elongated openings 34 in the bottom plate to fix the mounting foot 29 to the ground surface. The mounting foot 29 has a front wall 29a, a back wall 29b which is generally parallel to the front wall 29a, and a web 29c connecting the walls 29a, 29b. The walls 29a, 29b extend in the width direction 16 whereas the web 29c generally extends in the depth direction 17. The walls 29a, 29b are parallel to and adjacent a respective one of the front wall 21 and back wall 20 of the bearing frame 11. The large contact surface area between the walls 29a, 29b of the mounting foot 29 and the walls 20, 21 of the bearing frame 11 aid in securely placing the bearing frame 11 and thus the gate post 2, 4.

[0128] In the illustrated embodiment, the mounting foot 29 is provided with elongated slots 32 in the walls 29a, 29b in which nut elements 31 are slidably placed. These nut-elements 31 provide a threaded area in which threaded fastening members 30 are received. Along the length of the elongated slots 32, a few elongated openings 33 are provided which allow fastening members 30 to extend therethrough. In this way, various of the opening pairs 25 are in the bearing frame walls 20, 21 allow placing a threaded fastening member 30 therein which extends into the nut elements 31 thus fixing the bearing frame 11 to the mounting foot 29. The use of elongated openings and slots allows to vary the position of the bearing frame 11 to the mounting foot 29 in the upright direction 15.

[0129] Figure 6 illustrates a second mounting foot 29'. This second mounting foot 29' has generally rectangular cross-section with walls adjacent the bearing frame walls and a flange foot 35 with openings 34 to fix the mounting foot 29' to the ground surface. In the mounting foot 29', threaded openings 33 are provided (e.g. by tapping a thread therein) thus allowing threaded fastening members 30 to extend through opening pairs 25 in the bearing frame walls 20, 21 into the mounting foot 29' thus fixing the bearing frame 11 to the mounting foot 29'.

[0130] The main advantage of the flange-based mounting foot 29' is the improved strength and rigidity as compared to the H-shaped mounting foot 29. This is due to the larger cross-sectional area and the flange. In this way, thinner metal may be used for manufacturing the foot 29' (e.g. 3 mm) than the foot 29 which may have a thickness of 1 cm to 2 cm. Each mounting foot 29, 29' is preferably at least 15 cm high so that multiple opening pairs 25 overlap with the mounting foot.

[0131] Figure 9 illustrates how an electrical enclosure 36 (which is considered a functional component) may be mounted into the bearing frame 11. To this end, the middle two cut-outs 24 are fully removed as well as the wall section separating them (as is clear when comparing figures 2 and 9) thus creating a rectangular mounting space 39 in the front wall 21 or the back wall 20 of the bearing frame 11. The electrical enclosure 36 has a base housing 36b to be morticed in the free space 39. Clip nuts 28 are provided in line with the central openings 26 to mount the base housing 36b to the bearing frame 11 by means of threaded fastening members 38. This ensures that the base housing 36b is securely fixed to the bearing frame 11. Afterwards, a mechanic may install all required electrical connections, circuitry, fuses, etc. needed (naturally depending on the user-selected functionality) in the electrical enclosure.

[0132] In the framework of an electrical enclosure 36, waterproofing is crucial. To this end, the bottom of the housing 36b has various rubber sealing rings 37 allowing wires to pass through the housing 36b in a leak-free manner. The electrical enclosure 36 is sealed by a cover 36a which is attached to the base 36b by means of threaded fasteners 40. In order to reduce the leakage risk, the fasteners 40 are present in each corner of the cover 36a. This requires the opening pairs 25 to be free as this may otherwise hamper the fasteners 40. Reducing the leakage risk thus requires the base housing 36b to be fastened to the bearing frame 11 by means of the central openings 26.

[0133] Figures 10 and 11 illustrate how a top cover 41 (which is regarded as a structural component of the gate post 2, 4) may be mounted on the bearing frame 11. To this end, a generally H-shaped mounting bracket 43 is provided having a front wall 43a, a rear wall 43b and a web 43c. The construction of the mounting bracket 43 is generally similar to the mounting foot 29. The walls 43a, 43b are parallel and adjacent to the walls 20, 21 of the bearing frame 11 and are provided with elongated slots 46 in which square nuts 44 are slidably received. Threaded fastening members 45 extend through opening pairs 35 in the bearing frame walls 20, 21 into the nuts 44 thereby fixing the mounting bracket 43 to the bearing frame 11. The web 43c has a threaded area 47 allowing the top cover 41 to be fastened to the bracket 43 by means of another threaded member 42. In another embodiment, the mounting bracket 43 and the top cover 41 may be fixed to one another by means of key cylinder (e.g. a Euro cylinder). This improves security as an unauthorized user cannot dismantle the top cover without damaging it. Again the slidable nuts 43 allow for aligning properly in the upright direction 15.

[0134] Figure 12 illustrates a gate closer 48 (which is considered a functional component) inserted into the bearing frame 11. Like with the mounting foot 29, 29' or the H-shaped mounting bracket 43, the gate closer 48 has an outer housing with threaded openings (not shown) therein to allow fixing the gate closer 48 to the bearing frame 11 by means of threaded fastening members extending through opening pairs 25. The gate closer 48 has an arm 49 projecting from the top of the bearing frame 11 (i.e. the top of the gate post 2) to connect to the closure member 3. Various gate closers 48 are known in the art (e.g. spring biased gate closers as disclosed in in WO 2012 / 103572; hydraulically damped spring based gate closers as disclosed in WO 2018 / 228729; and motor-driven gate actuators as disclosed in WO 2019 / 048359) and may be used in a gate post 2 according to the present invention.

[0135] It will be appreciated that the diagonal buttresses 27 in one of the rectangular cut-outs 24 may be removed. This provides a free space that allows easily reaching the gate closer 48. A mechanic can thus easily reach the gate closer 48 and make adjustments (e.g. closing speed) thereto. The same space can also enable a user to uncouple the gate closer 48 which is especially useful for motor-operated gate closers 48 which may otherwise maintain the closure member 3 in the closed state during a power failure.

[0136] The fastening of a hinge 5 (i.e. a structural component of the gate post 2) on the bearing frame 11 is visualized in figures 13 and 14. In the illustrated embodiment, the gate facing side 18 of the bearing frame 11 is provided with two openings 50. A reinforcement bar 51 is positioned inside the bearing frame 11 adjacent the gate facing side 18. The reinforcement bar 51 has threaded openings 53. In this way, threaded fasteners 52 provided on the hinge 5 extend through the openings 50 into the threaded openings 53 thus fixing the hinge 5 to the bearing frame 11 whilst at the same time providing a reinforcing bar 51 to locally strengthen the bearing frame 11. It will be appreciated that the reinforcing bar 51 could be formed as part of the H-shaped mounting bracket 43 thus providing a better connection to the bearing frame 11.

[0137] Figure 15 shows a front view of a cover profile 12 to be attached to the bearing frame 11 in order to form the gate post 2, 4. A horizontal cross-section through the cover profile 12 is shown in figure 16 and shows that this cross-section is generally C-shaped. More specifically, in its cross-section, the cover profile 12 has a front side 55 extending between opposing ends 55a, 55b from which two upstanding sides 56 extend backwards between a front end 56a (contiguous with one of the ends 55a, 55b) to a rear end 56b. From each rear end 56b, a back wall section 57 extends inwards to a free end 57a.

[0138] As shown in figure 17, the C-shaped cover profile 12 allows for easily mounting functional components thereto. To this end, a functional component 8 is provided which has an outer housing in which two (or more) through-openings 63 are provided to receive threaded fastening members 62. In the illustrated embodiment of figure 17, this component 8 is a keypad for which apertures 58 are made in the front side 55 of the cover profile 12. Naturally, different apertures may be needed for different functional components as is clear from figure 1A. For each functional component 8, at least one (preferably two) mounting bars 59 are provided. Each bar 59 extends between two free ends and is provided with a threaded hole 64. In figure 17, the threaded area is formed by the placement of a square nut 61 in a slot-like opening 60.

[0139] The mounting bar 59 is placed adjacent the inner wall of the front side 55 with the free ends extending into the C-shaped spaces. In other words, the mounting bar 59 overlaps with the back wall sections 57. By fastening the threaded fastening members 62, the back wall sections 57 are effectively clamped between the mounting bar 59 and the outer housing of the functional component 8. This is best shown in figure 18 which also shows the bearing frame 11 with the front cover 12 disposed in the recessed area 22.

[0140] The same system may be used to mount a whole variety of functional components 8 onto the front or back cover 12. Examples of such functional components are access control means (e.g. keypad, videophone, camera, intercom, fingerprint scanner, doorbell, etc.), lighting elements, placeholder for identification information (e.g. house number, resident name, etc.), a letter box, etc.

[0141] An alternative mounting bar 59' is illustrated in figure 36. The main difference is the free space 70 provided between the threaded holes 64. This allows larger functional components 8 to be fixed to the cover profile 12.

[0142] A different functional component 8 is shown in figures 19 and 20. This functional component 8 is a combination (going from down to up) of a doorbell, a resident name tag, a keypad, and a light. Figure 19 shows the finished gate post 4, whereas figure 20 shows an exploded view. In figure 20, it is evident that several of the cut-outs 24 have been removed along with their buttresses 27 thereby forming an open space 65 in the bearing frame 11 into which the functional component 8 extends. However, the functional component 8 is itself not fixed to the bearing frame 11 but is fixed to the front cover 12 by means of mounting bars 59 and fasteners 62 in the same way as described above in relation to figures 17 and 18.

[0143] An alternative cover profile 12' is shown in figure 18. This cover profile 12' still relies on the C-shaped sections 56, 57 when viewed in the horizontal cross-section thus maintaining the advantages of easily mounting functional components thereon. The main difference is this cover profile 12' is that the front side 55 is shorter leaving free recesses 68 on either side of the cover profile 12' to the bearing frame 11. The upstanding walls 56 are also moved inwards providing a free volume 67 behind each side of the front 55. This free volume 67 may be used to place a LED strip 66 therein thus providing indirect lighting along one or two upright lines in the gate post 2, 4.

[0144] Figure 22 shows another variation of a free gate post 4 where a functional component 8 in the form a videophone is provided. In order to maximize the width dimension of the functional component 8, the cover profile 12 is split into two separate parts, i.e. an upper cover 12a and a lower cover 12b. Due to the split cover 12, the functional component 8 is fixed directly to the bearing frame 11. To this end, a few cut-outs 24 are removed and clip nuts 28 are placed in two opening pairs 25. The functional component 8 has a housing with upper and lower edge 67 in which openings 68 are provided. Threaded fastening members 66 extend through the openings 68 into the clip nuts 28 to fasten the functional component 8 to the bearing frame 11.

[0145] The cover parts 12a, 12b, due to their C-shaped cross-sections, further hook behind the edges 27. More specifically, the edges 67 are received between the front side 55 and the back wall sections 57 of the cover parts 12a, 12b. In this way, the end of the cover parts 12a, 12b adjacent the functional component 8 is held in place.

[0146] Figures 23 to 27 generally show how the cover profile 12 is fixed to the bearing frame 11. Several mechanism are used in combination in order to have a secure connection. More specifically, there is a lower holding rail set 71 shown in figure 24B, an upper holding rail set 72 shown in figure 24A, and a top cover rim 73.

[0147] The top cover rim 73, as shown in figure 24A, extends downwards. Once the cover profile 12 is mounted to the bearing frame 11, the top cover 41 is placed on top. In this manner, the top cover rim 73 overlaps with an upper area of the cover profile 12 thus holding the cover profile 12 in place. As described above, the top cover 41 is itself fixed to the bearing frame 11 by means of the H-shaped bracket 43.

[0148] The lower holding rail set 71 is shown in exploded view in figure 25 and comprises a base rail 74, a reinforcing bar 75 and spring-biased edges 76. As shown in the cross-sections of figures 26 and 27, these components are joined together by threaded fastening members 77 engaging in clip nuts 28 mounted on an opening pair 25 in the bearing frame 11. As best shown in figure 27, the spring-biased edges 76 hold the back wall sections 57 of the cover profile 12. Furthermore, the base rail 74 may have a wider lower section 74a which, in the width direction 16, extends beyond the upstanding edges 76. In order to position the cover profile 12, it is lifted so that the back wall sections 57 slide behind the wide lower section 74a.

[0149] The upper holding rail set 72 is similar to the lower holding rail set 71 with the exception that a wider section is not practical as the cover profile 12 cannot be lifted and slid behind the upper holding rail set 72. The upper holding rail set 72 has a base rail, a reinforcing bar and spring-biased edges which are fixed to the bearing frame 11 by means of threaded fastening members 78 extending into clip nuts 28 aligned with an opening pair 25 in the bearing frame 11. The spring-biased edges thus act as a temporary holding means until the top cover 41 is securely position causing the cover profile 12 to be held by the top cover rim 73.

[0150] Figures 28 to 30 show an additional key cylinder 80 (e.g. a so-called Euro-cylinder corresponding to standard DIN 18252 / 2020-04) for locking the cover profile 12 to the bearing frame 11. To this end, the bearing frame 11 is provided with a latch plate 83 that is inserted into a removed cut-out 84 and fixed with fasteners 85 to the central openings 26 adjacent the free cut-out 84 as shown in figures 28 and 30. As shown in figure 29, on the inside of the cover profile 12, a mounting rail 86 is fastened to the back wall sections 57 using fasteners 87. This is the same principle as how a functional component 8 is mounted to the cover profile 12. After the cover profile 12 is fitted to bearing frame 11, the key cylinder 80 is pushed through the cylinder-shaped opening 88 in the latch plate. Actuating the key cylinder 80 causes a rotation of the rotary bit 81 which is then caught behind the latch plate 83 thereby preventing the cover profile 12 from being moved.

[0151] Although aspects of the present disclosure have been described with respect to specific embodiments, it will be readily appreciated that these aspects may be implemented in other forms within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims.

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0096]The present invention will be described with respect to particular embodiments and with reference to certain drawings but the invention is not limited thereto but only by the claims. The drawings described are only schematic and are non-limiting. In the drawings, the size of some of the elements may be exaggerated and not drawn on scale for illustrative purposes. The dimensions and the relative dimensions do not necessarily correspond to actual reductions to practice of the invention.

[0097]Furthermore, the terms first, second, third and the like in the description and in the claims, are used for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a sequential or chronological order. The terms are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances and the embodiments of the invention can operate in other sequences than described or illustrated herein.

[0098]Moreover, the terms top, bottom, over, under, left, right, front, back, and the like in the description...

Technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to a gate post and a method for mounting a functional component on such a gate post.Background art

[0002] In the field of outdoor closure systems there are generally two kinds of gate posts, namely a support gate post on which the closure member is attached and a free gate post against which the closure member closes. In view of their different functions, the gate posts are usually different in size, shape, material, rigidity, etc.

[0003] In the context of support gate posts, there are various ways on how to mount the closure member to the gate post. This may involve rail assemblies, hinge assemblies, gate closers, gate actuators, etc. Moreover, for each assembly, various kinds exist. For example, hinges may be front mounted, rear mounted, or side mounted. Gate closers may act on the closure member or on the hinge. Due to the various configurations and in order to ensure the required strength, there is usually only limited space for optional components on the support gate post as addressed in EP 1 482 120.

[0004] In the context of free gate posts, there is a general desire to incorporate functional components in a modular manner in the gate post. Such functional components include access control means (e.g. keypad, videophone, etc.), postal receiving means (e.g. letter box or packet box), identification information (e.g. resident name, house number, etc.), lighting, etc. Examples of such modular gate posts are disclosed in JP 2001 / 262962; JP 2005 / 171660; JP 2006 / 241877; JP 2008 / 280755; and JP 2009 / 094370. A main issue with these kinds of gate posts is that they are not able to support a closure member. Moreover, when a user desires to change the functional components, the entire gate post may be to be revised as there is limited modularity.

[0005] In general, due to the number of possible configurations of closure systems and consumer demands, manufacturers and retailers are required to have a large stock of various gate posts in order to meet consumer needs.Disclosure of the invention

[0006] It is an object of the present invention to provide a gate post which at least partially alleviates one or more of the above-mentioned disadvantages.

[0007] The present invention is generally based on the provision of a gate post having a dedicated bearing frame configured to support a gate. The inventors realized that such a bearing frame enables a single gate post design to be used both as a supporting gate post and a free gate post. This firstly provides gate posts that are similar in size, shape, material, etc. This secondly allows to reduce stock as a single bearing frame may be used for both kinds of gate posts. The aspects of the present invention are further based on providing convenient ways by which to mount various functional and / or structural components onto the bearing frame depending on user needs.

[0008] According to a first aspect of the present invention, this is achieved with a gate post extending in an upright direction and comprising a bearing frame configured for supporting a gate, the bearing frame comprising: a gate facing side wall and an opposite side wall which are mutually parallel and extend in a depth direction between a front edge and a back edge, the depth direction being perpendicular to the upright direction; and a front wall and a back wall which are mutually parallel and extend in a width direction between a gate facing edge and an opposite edge, the width direction being perpendicular to both the upright direction and the depth direction, wherein at least one of the front wall and the back wall comprises a substantially planar area provided with a plurality of cut-outs configured to receive a functional component, wherein a diagonal buttress is provided in each cut-out, the diagonal buttresses being integrally formed with the remainder of the respective wall (i.e. the wall in which the cut-out is formed).

[0009] The first aspect is based on providing preformed cut-outs in the front and / or back wall of the bearing frame. These cut-outs provide dedicated areas in which a functional component can be partially received thus allowing the functional components to extend into the bearing frame. In other words, the outer dimensions of the bearing frame can be maximised (thus improving rigidity and strength) without having to take account of the various functional components that may have to be added.

[0010] Furthermore, as the cut-outs are preformed, there is no need for a mechanic installing the gate post has to create (e.g. by sawing, milling, or the like) an individual and unique cut-out pattern in each bearing frame depending on the user-selected functional components.

[0011] Moreover, the provision of the integrally formed diagonal buttress reduces the negative impact of the cut-outs on the strength and rigidity of the bearing frame. In other words, the provision of the cut-outs naturally causes a reduction in strength and rigidity of the bearing frame. This reduction is decreased as each cut-out has an integrally formed diagonal buttress, which are known as an effective means for transferring forces and preventing buckling. The buttresses are also designed to be removed only when the cut-out in question is to be used for a functional component thus minimizing the rigidity reduction to only cut-outs where a functional component is indeed present.

[0012] According to a second aspect of the present invention, this is achieved with a gate post extending in an upright direction, the gate post comprising: a bearing frame configured for supporting a gate, the bearing frame comprising: a gate facing side wall and an opposite side wall which are mutually parallel and extend in a depth direction between a front edge and a back edge, the depth direction being perpendicular to the upright direction; and a front wall and a back wall which are mutually parallel and extend in a width direction between a gate facing edge and an opposite edge, the width direction being perpendicular to both the upright direction and the depth direction, the front wall having a recessed area, and a front cover disposed in the recessed area and mounted on the bearing frame, the front cover having: a front side extending in the width direction between a first edge and a second edge opposite the first edge; a first upstanding wall section extending in the depth direction away from the first edge between a proximal end contiguous with the first edge and a distal end and a second upstanding wall section extending in the depth direction away from the second edge between a proximal end contiguous with the second edge and a distal end; and a first back wall section extending in the width direction away from the distal end of the first upstanding wall section and a second back wall section extending in the width direction away from the distal end of the second upstanding wall section.

[0013] The second aspect is based on providing a front cover to be disposed in a recess in the front wall of the bearing frame. The front cover has a front side, upstanding sidewalls and two backwall sections so that a horizontal cross-section (i.e. perpendicular to the upright direction) through the front cover is generally C-shaped.

[0014] C-shaped profiles provide, as will be described below, a convenient way to mount functional components to the front cover. In particular, the upstanding sidewalls and / or the backwall sections can be used as anchor points for functional components without having to damage (e.g. by threaded fastening members, welds, etc.) the front (i.e. visible) side of the front cover.

[0015] The C-shape profile and the recess in the front wall are also further convenient to mount the cover to the bearing frame with fastening means that are not visible from the outside of the gate post. This is due to the upstanding sidewalls and / or the backwall sections of the cover profile being overlapping with wall sections of the bearing frame.

[0016] According to a third aspect of the present invention, this is achieved with a gate post extending in an upright direction and comprising a bearing frame configured for supporting a gate, the bearing frame comprising: a gate facing side wall and an opposite side wall which are mutually parallel and extend in a depth direction between a front edge and a back edge, the depth direction being perpendicular to the upright direction; and a front wall and a back wall which are mutually parallel and extend in a width direction between a gate facing edge and an opposite edge, the width direction being perpendicular to both the upright direction and the depth direction, wherein the front wall and the back wall each comprise a substantially planar area provided with: a plurality of opening pairs distributed along the upright direction with the openings of each pair being spaced in the width direction, each opening being dimensioned to receive a threaded fastening member; and for each opening, an associated gap dimensioned to receive a clip nut to be placed in line with the opening, and wherein the gate post comprises a mounting foot positioned inside the bearing frame and configured to be fixed to a ground surface, the mounting foot being fixed to the bearing frame by threaded fastening members extending through at least one opening pair of the front wall into the mounting foot and at least one opening pair of the back wall into the mounting foot.

[0017] The third aspect is based on providing a repeating pattern of opening pairs that allow fastening various functional and / or structural components to the bearing frame. This fastening may be achieved by either directly placing threaded members through an opening pair into a threaded area of the functional or structural component. This fastening may also be achieved by relying on clip nuts placed in alignment with the openings of an opening pair, which clip nuts provide a threaded area for threaded members.

[0018] As the opening pairs are preformed, there is no need for a mechanic installing the gate post has to create (e.g. by sawing, milling, or the like) an individual and unique opening pattern in each bearing frame depending on the user-selected functional and / or structural components.

[0019] In practice, the connection between the gate post and the ground surface on which it is mounted is of paramount importance since all forces exerted on the gate post have to be transferred via the mounting foot to the ground surface. According to the third aspect, at least some of the opening pairs in the bearing frame are used to mount the bearing frame on a mounting foot that is configured to be attached to a ground surface. There is thus firstly a direct connection between the bearing frame and the mounting foot reducing the risk of intermediate elements not being able to handle the forces involved. Secondly, the direct connection also inherently involves overlapping and adjacent wall sections of the bearing frame and the mounting foot thereby creating a large contact area improving force transfer and reducing local pressure.

[0020] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that each cut-out has a mainly rectangular outer contour defining four corners, wherein areas where the diagonal buttress is contiguous with the remainder of the respective wall are adjacent to the corners.

[0021] The corners of the cut-outs are thus preformed and not obstructed by any buttress. This means that a mechanic installing the gate post and having to remove one or more buttresses does not need to worry about making a correct corner. This thus reduces the error risk involved.

[0022] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that the mainly rectangular outer contour has two opposing sidewalls which are mainly extending in the upright direction, wherein the contiguous areas coincide with parts of the sidewalls.

[0023] In order to remove the buttresses, there is only need to remove material in the upright direction (e.g. with a circular saw) thus avoiding the risk with horizontal material removal that a corner of the bearing frame is damaged.

[0024] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that each cut-out is provided with two diagonal buttresses crossing one another.

[0025] This improves the strength and rigidity of the bearing frame.

[0026] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that each cut out is symmetrical about a middle upright plane perpendicular to the width direction and / or about a middle horizontal plane perpendicular to the upright direction.

[0027] This avoids local pressure build-ups that could ensue from asymmetric cut-outs, which build-ups could lead to buckling of the bearing frame.

[0028] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that the two diagonal buttresses crossing one another form a substantial X-shape.

[0029] This shape combines the benefits of two buttresses with the symmetrical design that minimizes buckling.

[0030] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that each cut-out has a mainly rectangular outer contour having two opposing upright sidewalls which are mainly extending in the upright direction and having a height and two opposing horizontal sidewalls which are mainly extending in the width direction and having a width, wherein: at most 50% of a middle area of the cut-out delimited by the two opposing horizontal sidewalls is occupied by the diagonal buttresses; and / or a largest distance between each horizontal sidewalls and the diagonal buttresses in the upright direction is at least 25% of the height; and / or a largest distance between each horizontal sidewalls and the diagonal buttresses in the upright direction is at least 5 mm.

[0031] In these embodiments, the middle vertical area of the cut-out is left sufficiently open to allow placing a clip nut therethrough and onto a horizontal edge of the cut-out.

[0032] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that the bearing frame is integrally formed, preferably by cold rolling steel or extruding aluminium.

[0033] This improves the strength and rigidity of the bearing frame.

[0034] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that all cut-outs are substantially identical.

[0035] This aids in design flexibility and modularity as the functional components, when tailored to the one cut-out shape, can be placed anywhere on the bearing frame.

[0036] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that said cut-outs are provided in both the front wall and the back wall, wherein the cut-outs in the front wall are preferably aligned in the upright direction and / or the width direction with respective cut-outs in the back wall.

[0037] Functional components can thus be placed on both sides of the bearing frame and even through the bearing frame in view of the advantageous cut-out alignment.

[0038] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that the gate post comprises at least one functional component disposed in a cut-out having its diagonal buttress removed, the functional component being at least one of: access control means, such as a keypad, a videophone, a camera, fingerprint scanner, touch screen, etc., a letterbox, dwelling identification information, resident identification information, a lock, lighting means, and an electrical enclosure.

[0039] This provides a user with the desired choice in functionality.

[0040] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that: the front wall and the back wall of the bearing frame both have a recessed area in which the substantially planar area is formed; and / or the bearing frame has four outer corners with a cross-section through each corner in a plane perpendicular to the upright direction is generally U-shaped.

[0041] This improves the strength and rigidity of the bearing frame as the bearing frame has rigid corner sections with parallel wall sections. The recessed area in essence also causes parallel wall sections. An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that: the openings in the front wall are aligned in the upright direction and / or the width direction with respective openings in the back wall; and / or each opening pair is symmetrical about a middle upright plane perpendicular to the width direction; and / or the opening of each opening pair closest to the gate facing side wall are aligned with one another in the upright direction and the opening of each opening pair farthest from the gate facing side wall are aligned with one another in the upright direction, wherein the associated gaps preferably have a same symmetry as the opening pairs.

[0042] This aids in design flexibility and modularity as a same mounting tool (e.g. mounting rail or bar) can be used at any height along the bearing frame.

[0043] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that the mounting foot has a height of at least 15 cm and is fixed to the bearing frame by using at least two opening pairs in the front wall and at least two opening pairs in the back wall.

[0044] The bearing frame is thus fixed to the mounting foot at different heights leading to a stronger and more robust connection.

[0045] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that the mounting foot comprises threaded areas to receive the threaded fastening members, the threaded areas being formed either: by tapping a thread directly in a wall of the mounting foot; or by the provision of a non-circular nut element which is preferably slidably placed in an elongated slot in the mounting foot, which slot extends in the upright direction.

[0046] This provides various options to make the threaded area (e.g. tapping it directly, providing a slidable nut element or even using a nut element which is clipped or otherwise fastened to the mounting foot) allowing more choices in which material to manufacture the mounting foot from.

[0047] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that the associated gaps for each opening pair are jointly formed by an elongated slot extending in the width direction, wherein each slot is adjacent an opening pair and spaced therefrom in the upright direction.

[0048] An elongated slot is advantageous as it allow sliding the clip nut into the desired position. It may also be easier to provide sufficient space for inserting the clip nut into the slot sideways of the opening pairs.

[0049] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that: each opening pair and associated elongated slot are identical to one another; and / or the opening pairs and associated elongated slots in the front wall are aligned in the upright direction and / or the width direction with respective opening pairs and associated elongated slots in the back wall.

[0050] This aids in design flexibility and modularity as a same mounting tool (e.g. mounting rail or bar) can be used at any height along the bearing frame and on both sides of the bearing frame.

[0051] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that the gate post further comprises at least one holding rail set configured to hold a cover profile against the bearing frame, the holding rail set comprising: at least one clip nut (preferably two clip nuts) mounted in the associated gap(s) of an opening pair and each in line with one opening of the opening pair; a holding rail extending in the width direction and fixed to the bearing frame by one or more threaded fixation members extending into the clip nut(s).

[0052] The holding rail sets are a convenient way to fasten cover profiles to the bearing frame using the provided the opening pairs. Whilst a single clip nut may suffice, the use of two clip nuts is preferred as this offers a more secure connection. Moreover, for alignment purposes, when only a single clip nut is used, the holding rail has to comprise a further pin, protrusion, gap or the like that interacts with the bearing frame to ensure proper alignment of the holding rail.

[0053] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that: the holding rail has upstanding edges at its opposing ends which extend away from the bearing frame in the depth direction, the upstanding edges comprising leaf spring members configured to hold the cover profile to bearing frame; and / or the gate post further comprises the cover profile held against the bearing frame by means of a plurality of holding rails, wherein preferably a cross-section through the cover profile in a hypothetical plane perpendicular to the upright direction is substantially C-shaped.

[0054] The holding rail sets are a convenient way to make use of the C-shaped cover profiles and the opening pairs in the bearing frame to attach the front and / or rear cover to the bearing frame. The leaf spring edges further hold the cover profile in place without a user holding the cover in place.

[0055] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that the gate post comprises a structural element mounted in an upper part of the bearing frame with at least a part of the structural element being inside the bearing frame, wherein the inside part of the structural element has a first wall adjacent the front wall and a second wall adjacent the back wall and wherein the inside part of the structural element is fixed to the bearing frame by threaded fastening members extending through at least one opening pair of the front wall into the first wall of the structural element and at least one opening pair of the back wall into the second wall of the structural element.

[0056] The opening pairs thus allow to fix structural elements directly into the bearing frame. This direct connection is robust and rigid and avoids fastening members that are visible from the outside of the finished gate post.

[0057] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that: the first wall and the second wall of the structural element comprise threaded areas to receive the threaded fastening members, the threaded areas being particularly formed by the provision of a non-circular nut element slidably placed in an elongated slot in the wall, which slot extends in the upright direction; and / or the structural element is at least one of: a top cover, a gate closer, a gate actuator, and a hinge assembly.

[0058] The non-circular nut elements avoid having to manually tap a thread, whilst the elongated slots allow leeway in the upright direction. This further provides a user with the desired choice in functionality.

[0059] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that a further opening is provided for each opening pair, which further opening is in line with its respective pair in the width direction and is located between the openings of its respective pair, each further opening being dimensioned to receive a threaded fastening member.

[0060] These further openings are useful in cases where the opening pair is partially inaccessible.

[0061] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that the gate post further comprises: a first clip nut mounted in one of the further openings and a second clip nut mounted in another one of the further openings; and a functional component or structural component mounted on the bearing frame by means of threaded fastening members extending into said first and second clip nut.

[0062] This further enhances the ways in which to mount functional components or structural components to the bearing frame and in turn leads to more choice in functionality for the user.

[0063] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that the functional component is at least one of: an electrical enclosure which comprises a base housing and a closing cover having a substantially rectangular shape, wherein the base housing and the closing cover are joined in the corners of the rectangular shape, which corners overlap with openings of the opening pairs of the respective further openings; or a cover lock configured to lock a cover profile to the bearing frame.

[0064] The base of the electrical enclosure is thus securely fixed to the bearing frame, whilst the closing cover is fixed in all corners to the base housing thus leading to a leak-proof enclosure. The cover lock improves security as an unauthorized person cannot remove the cover plate without damaging the gate post.

[0065] It will be readily appreciated that the further openings may also be used in mounting or further securing any component fixed to the bearing frame by means of the opening pairs. Examples are a holding rail, the mounting foot, a gate closer or actuator, a top cover, etc.

[0066] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that the gate post further comprises at least two mounting blocks each engaging the front cover and configured to mount a functional component onto the front cover, wherein the mounting blocks are preferably part of a single mounting bar.

[0067] The mounting blocks allow for a flexible placement and require minimal space to be placed. A mounting bar has the advantage that unwanted rotation is prevented. More specifically, as the mounting bar is fixed in two places, any tightening of a threaded member will not rotate the mounting bar.

[0068] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that the mounting blocks are spaced apart in the width direction so that a first mounting block is adjacent the first upstanding wall section and a second mounting block is adjacent the second upstanding wall section, each mounting block being provided with holes, wherein preferably the at least one mounting bar extends between a first end adjacent the first upstanding wall section and a second end adjacent the second upstanding wall section, and in that the gate post further comprises a functional component having a housing which is fixed to the mounting blocks by means of threaded fixation members extending into the hole.

[0069] The use of mounting blocks with holes therein allows fastening the functional component to the rear (i.e. invisible) side of the cover profile without the need for externally visible fasteners.

[0070] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that the first back wall section and the second back wall section are clamped between the mounting blocks and the housing of the functional component.

[0071] This clamping is a secure and robust way to fix a functional component to a C-shaped profile. It also minimizes unwanted deformation which could be caused by relying on the upstanding side wall sections for fastening the functional component. It also avoids the need for externally visible threaded fastening members.

[0072] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that the holes have a screw threaded area, wherein the screw threaded area is preferably formed by non-circular nut elements inserted in corresponding slots in the mounting blocks.

[0073] Providing the threaded area results in an easier assembly as no threads have to be tapped during assembly. It also avoids potential risks (e.g. misalignment) involved with such tapping. The slots with nuts therein allow for some leeway to better align the functional component with the cover profile.

[0074] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that the gate post comprises the functional component is one of: access control means, such as a keypad, a videophone, a camera, fingerprint scanner, a touchscreen, etc., a letterbox, dwelling identification information, resident identification information, lighting means, and a cover lock.

[0075] This provides a user with the desired choice in functionality.

[0076] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that a locking cylinder is interposed between the bearing frame and the cover and is configured to lock the cover to the bearing frame.

[0077] The key cylinder improves security as an unauthorized person cannot remove the cover plate without damaging the gate post.

[0078] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that the rear wall has a recessed area in which a rear cover is disposed, the rear cover being preferably substantially identical to the front cover.

[0079] The advantages described above with respect to the second aspect of the present invention are now obtained both for the front wall and the back wall.

[0080] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that the gate post comprises a top cover mounted on the top of the gate post, the top cover having a rim edge extending away from the top of the gate post, wherein an upper area of the front cover and / or the rear cover engages an inside of the rim edge.

[0081] The top cover thus acts as a holding system to hold the front and / or rear cover profile to the bearing frame.

[0082] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that the gate post further comprises a top cover mounting bracket fixed to the inside of the recessed areas of the front wall and the rear wall with the top covering being fastened to the top cover mounting bracket.

[0083] This top cover mounting bracket allows fixing the top cover to the bearing frame with nearly no visible external elements.

[0084] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that the gate post further comprises: a reinforcement bar extending in the depth direction between a front end and a back end and positioned adjacent an inner side of the gate facing side wall of the bearing frame with the front end adjacent the front edge and with the back end adjacent the back edge; and a hinge mounted on the gate facing side wall of the bearing frame and preferably fixed to the reinforcement bar.

[0085] The reinforcement bar ensures that the bearing frame, i.e. the gate facing side wall, is locally sufficiently strong to be able to bear the weight of the closure member via the hinge assemblies.

[0086] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that the bearing frame is provided with: a bottom holding rail with the first back wall section and the second back wall section being positioned between the bottom holding rail and the bearing frame; and / or at least one holding rail extending in the width direction, each rail having upstanding edges at its opposing ends which extend away from the bearing frame in the depth direction, the upstanding edges comprising leaf spring members which engage a respective one of the first and second back wall section of the front cover.

[0087] These holding rails are meant to hold the cover profile(s) to the bearing frame by means of their C-shaped cross-section. The cover profiles are thus mounted to the bearing frame without requiring externally visible elements.

[0088] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that: the front cover is integrally formed, in particular by folding a metal plate; and / or the front side of the cover is flush with the non-recessed area of the front wall.

[0089] Integrally forming the cover profiles improves their rigidity and strength. A flush cover is typically desired by users in order to have an aesthetically pleasing view. It also reduces injury risk associated with protruding components.

[0090] An embodiment of the present invention is characterised in that the first edge and / or the second edge of the front cover are spaced apart from the non-recessed area of the front wall, and in that the first and / or second upstanding wall section are indented with respect to a respective one of the first edge and the second edge to allow placing a LED strip therein.

[0091] The gate post is thus provided with one or two upright LED strips. These not only act as a nice aesthetically pleasing view, they may also be used as warning signals when the closure member is opening.

[0092] The present invention further relates to various methods for mounting a functional component on a gate post described above. These methods may involve one or more of the following steps: providing the functional component; removing the diagonal buttresses in at least one cut-out and optionally removing the part of the wall dividing two adjacent cut-outs thus creating an open area; inserting at least a part of the functional component into the open area placing clip nuts in an associated gap in alignment with openings of an opening pair or providing threaded areas in the functional component (this threaded area could also be formed by using self-tapping fasteners); fixing the functional component to the bearing frame by applying threaded fastening members which engage either in the clip nuts or extend through openings of an opening pair into the threaded areas of the functional component; positioning a mounting bar on an inner side of the front cover, the mounting bar having opposing ends which are adjacent respective ones of the upstanding wall sections; fixing the functional component to the mounting bar by means of threaded fixation members extending through the housing and into threaded areas of the mounting bar thereby clamping the back wall sections between the mounting bar and the housing; positioning the front cover in the recessed area; and securing the front cover to the bearing frame.

[0093] These methods allow easily mounting various functional components to the cover profiles and / or bearing frame of the gate post.

[0094] It will be readily appreciated that, as will also become evident from the further description, that the above mentioned aspects of the invention and the various embodiments (incl. preferred, more preferred, advantageous, more advantageous, alternative, etc. embodiment and / or other optionally indicated features) should not be limited to individual elements, but may be combined with one another to achieve even other embodiments than those already described, which embodiments may also be part of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.Brief description of the drawings

[0095] The invention will be further explained by means of the following description and the appended figures. Figure 1A shows a first embodiment of a closure system comprising gate posts according to the present invention. Figure 1B shows a second embodiment of a closure system comprising gate posts according to the present invention. Figure 2 shows a perspective view of a bearing frame which is part of a gate post according to the present invention. Figure 3 shows a detail front view of the bearing frame of figure 2. Figure 4 shows an exploded view of a mounting foot and bearing frame of a gate post according to the present invention. Figure 5 shows a horizontal cross-section through the assembled mounting foot and bearing frame of figure 4. Figure 6 shows an exploded view of an alternative mounting foot and bearing frame of a gate post according to the present invention Figures 7A and 7B illustrate placing a clip nut on the bearing frame of a gate post according to the present invention. Figure 8 shows a side view of the clip nut used in figures 7A and 7B. Figure 9 shows an exploded view of an electrical enclosure and bearing frame of a gate post according to the present invention. Figure 10 shows an exploded view of a top cover and bearing frame of a gate post according to the present invention. Figure 11 shows a horizontal cross-section through the assembled top cover and bearing frame of figure 12. Figure 12 shows an side view of a gate closer mounted on a bearing frame of a gate post according to the present invention. Figure 13 shows a detail of a hinge mounted on a bearing frame of a gate post according to the present invention. Figure 14 shows an exploded view of figure 13. Figure 15 shows a front view of a cover plate which is part of a gate post according to the present invention. Figure 16 shows a horizontal cross-section through the cover plate of figure 15. Figure 17 shows an exploded view of a functional component and cover plate of a gate post according to the present invention. Figure 18 shows a detail of a horizontal cross-section through the assembled functional component and cover of figure 17. Figure 19 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a gate post according to the present invention with a functional component. Figure 20 shows a detail of an exploded view of the gate post of figure 19. Figure 21 shows a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a gate post according to the present invention with a functional component. Figure 22 shows an exploded view of the gate post of figure 21. Figure 23 shows an exploded view of a gate post according to the present invention. Figures 24A and 24B show details of the top and bottom of figure 23. Figure 25 shows an exploded view of figure 24B. Figure 26 shows a horizontal cross-section through the assembled gate post of figure 23. Figure 27 shows a detail of figure 26. Figure 28 shows a detail of an exploded view of a cover profile with lock to be mounted on the bearing frame as part of a gate post according to the present invention. Figure 29 shows a detail of a rear view of the cover profile of figure 28. Figure 30 shows a detail of the bearing frame of figure 28. Figure 31 shows a morticed bolt keep mounted in a gate post according to the present invention. Figure 32 shows an exploded view of figure 31. Figure 33 shows a surface-mounted bolt keep mounted in a gate post according to the present invention. Figure 34 shows an exploded view of figure 33. Figures 35A to 35C schematically illustrate alternative cut-out and opening patterns. Figure 36 schematically illustrates an alternative mounting bar for the cover profile. Description of the invention

[0096] The present invention will be described with respect to particular embodiments and with reference to certain drawings but the invention is not limited thereto but only by the claims. The drawings described are only schematic and are non-limiting. In the drawings, the size of some of the elements may be exaggerated and not drawn on scale for illustrative purposes. The dimensions and the relative dimensions do not necessarily correspond to actual reductions to practice of the invention.

[0097] Furthermore, the terms first, second, third and the like in the description and in the claims, are used for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a sequential or chronological order. The terms are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances and the embodiments of the invention can operate in other sequences than described or illustrated herein.

[0098] Moreover, the terms top, bottom, over, under, left, right, front, back, and the like in the description and the claims are used for descriptive purposes. The terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances and the embodiments of the invention described herein can operate in other orientations than described or illustrated herein.

[0099] Furthermore, the various embodiments, although referred to as "preferred" are to be construed as exemplary manners in which the invention may be implemented rather than as limiting the scope of the invention.

[0100] The term "substantially" comprises variations of + / - 10% or less, preferably + / - 5% or less, more preferably + / - 1% or less, and even more preferably + / - 0.1% or less, of the specified state, as far as the variations are applicable to function in the present invention. It is to be understood that the term "substantially A" is intended to include "A".

[0101] The invention generally relates to a gate post configured for mounting a closure member and / or various functional components thereon. Such a gate post is commonly used as part of an outdoor closure system. Figures 1A and 1B illustrate two embodiments of such a closure system which both comprise multiple gate posts according to the present invention.

[0102] Figure 1A shows a first closure system 1 comprising a support gate post 2 which acts as a support for a moveable, in particular pivotable, closure member 3, such as a gate, a door, or a window. The closure member 3 is connected to the gate post by means of hinges 5. The closure system 1 comprises a free gate post 4 so that a cooperating lock 6 and keeper assembly 7 may be provided. The first closure system 1 is also illustrated in figures 31 and 32. Figure 1B shows a second closure system 1' having the same main components, namely gate post 2, closure member 3, second gate post 4, hinges 5, lock 6 and keeper 7.

[0103] The hinges 5 in the closure systems 1, 1' can be any kind of hinges known in the art and may particularly be eyebolt hinges for example as disclosed in EP 1 528 202, EP 2 778 331 or EP 3 162 997 the content of which are incorporated herein by reference. The lock 6 is typically provided on the closure member 2 and may be morticed therein as disclosed in EP 2 186 974, EP 3 153 645, and EP 4 159 962 the content of which are incorporated herein by reference. Alternatively, the lock 6 may be surface mounted on the closure member 2 as disclosed in EP 1 118 739, EP 2 915 939, and EP 4 191 007 the content of which are incorporated herein by reference. The keeper 7 is typically provided on the second gate post 4. The keeper 7 may be morticed in the second gate post 4 as shown in figures 31 and 32, i.e. the keeper 7 is largely inserted in an elongated slot 10 provided in the free gate post 4. In an alternative embodiment, as shown in figures 33 and 34, the keeper 7 may be surface mounted on the second gate post 4, e.g. by means of fixture sets 23 fitting in openings 14 provided in the free gate post 4. Examples of suitable morticed or surface mounted keepers 7 are disclosed in EP 1 600 584, EP 3 109 381, EP 3 153 645, EP 3 239 440, EP 3 421 695, EP 4 159 962, and EP 4 245 951, and unpublished European patent application 23214044.2 the content of which are incorporated herein by reference. Examples of suitable fixture sets for fixing a surface mounted keeper to the free gate post are disclosed in WO 2007 / 009998 or WO 2019 / 228896 and unpublished international patent application PCT / EP2023 / 069721 the content of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0104] The main difference between the closure systems 1, 1' is that, in closure system 1', various functional components 8 (e.g. access control, dwelling information, etc.) are incorporated in the second gate post 4, whereas such functional components are not included in closure system 1.

[0105] The general directions and orientations are also indicated in figures 1A and 1B. More specifically, there is the upright direction 15, the width direction 16 and the depth direction 17. These three directions 15, 16, 17 are generally substantially perpendicular to one another. The upright direction 15 in practice substantially coincides with the vertical direction. The width and dept directions 16, 17 together form a substantially horizontal plane.

[0106] In general, each gate post 2, 4 has four walls. More specifically, each gate post has: a gate facing wall which faces the closure member 3, an opposite wall facing away from the closure member 3, a front wall which normally faces outward from the enclosed area, and a back wall which normally faces the enclosed area. In figures 1A and 1B, the gate facing wall of gate post 2 is on the right and the gate facing wall of gate post 4 is the left. The back wall is not visible in figures 1A and 1B. Functional components such as access control, dwelling information, resident information, etc. are usually accessible from the front wall of the gate post 4.

[0107] The gate post according to the present invention may be generally used for both a support gate post 2 and a free gate post 4 and generally comprises the following structural components: a bearing frame 11, a front cover and a back cover 12 (both will be designated with the same reference number), and a mounting foot 29. The gate post is designed in order to allow various structural and / or functional components to be mounted thereon and / or integrated therein. In what follows, the bearing frame 11 will be mainly described with respect to figures 2 to 14 with alternative presented in figures 35A to 35C; the front and back covers 12 which are generally substantially identical will be mainly described with respect to figures 15 to 30 with an alternative presented in figure 36; and the functional and / or structural components will be described in relation to on what structural component they are mounted.

[0108] The bearing frame 11 is generally shown in figure 2 and extends in the upright direction 15. As indicated in figure 11, the bearing frame 11 has a gate facing wall 18, an opposite wall 19, a back wall 20 and a front wall 21. The gate facing wall and its opposing wall 18, 19 both extend between a front edge 18a, 19a and a back edge 18b, 19b. Likewise, the front wall and the back wall 20, 21 both extend between a gate facing edge 20a, 21a and an opposite edge 20b, 21b. Naturally, some of these edges coincide with one another, namely: the front edge 18a and the gate facing edge 21a; the front edge 19a and the opposite edge 21b; the rear edge 18b and the gate facing edge 20a; and the rear edge 19b and the opposite edge 20b.

[0109] The bearing frame 11 is the main structural component of the gate post 10 and as such needs to be able to bear the weight and forces associated with a closure member 3 mounted thereon. In order to achieve the desired strength and rigidity, the bearing frame 11 is generally an integrally formed component. This may be achieved by extruding the bearing frame 11 from a metal, e.g. aluminium. This may also be achieved by hot-rolling or cold-rolling a seamless metal, e.g. steel, tube. The various openings and cut-outs described later may be created by removing excess material (e.g. by laser cutting, milling, etc.) from the extruded, hot rolled or cold rolled metal tube. Various thicknesses may be used for the metal of the bearing frame 11 with suitable values being between 1 mm and 1 cm, for example 2 mm, 3 mm, 4 mm, 5 mm, 6 mm, 7 mm, 8 mm or 9 mm. The thickness depends also on the specific metal used and the manufacturing technique.

[0110] Another important aspect in achieving the desired strength and rigidity, is the cross-sectional shape of the bearing frame 11 in the horizontal plane. This shape is best shown in figure 11 and is generally I shaped. This shape is caused by recessed areas 22 in the front and back wall 20, 21. The result is that each corner of the bearing frame 11 comprises two parallel wall sections with a 180° fold. Due to this shape, each corner has a high rigidity and strength and does not easily buckle under high pressure. As an example, each parallel wall section may overlap in the depth direction 17 for about 1 cm to 3 cm and may be separated by a distance in the width direction 16 of about 0,5 cm to 2 cm. Naturally other specific dimensions are possible and linked with the material selection. This shape provides a very high rigidity thus avoiding to use very thick metal sheets (e.g. 2 cm or more) to form the bearing frame 11. Such thickness, while providing the desired strength and rigidity, would negatively impact the weight, costs, size, etc. of the bearing frame 11.

[0111] As shown in figure 2, both the rear wall 20 and the front wall 21 of the bearing frame 11 are provided with a recessed area 22 which forms a substantially flat area in which a repeating pattern of openings is provided. The repeating patter is better shown in figure 3. Although it is advantageous to provide this opening pattern in both walls 20, 21, the present invention should not necessarily be limited to this embodiment. Embodiments where only the rear wall 20 or the front wall 21 comprises a repeating pattern of openings are also envisage. Moreover, although the recessed area 22 is advantageous for various reasons (e.g. improve rigidity of the bearing frame 11 as set out above or to dispose a cover profile therein as described below), the repeating pattern of openings could also be used in non-recessed bearing frame 11 where the rear wall 20 and / or the front wall 21 are substantially planar between their edges.

[0112] As shown in figure 3, the repeating pattern of openings comprises a mainly rectangular cut-out 24 with three openings 25, 26 adjacent the cut-out in the upright direction 15. The rectangular cut-out 24 has an upper edge 24a, a lower edge 24b, a gate facing edge 24c, an opposite edge 24d, and four corners 24e. Each cut-out 24 is provided with two diagonal buttresses 27 that are integrally formed with the remainder of the wall 20, 21 in which the repeating pattern of openings is provided. The diagonal buttresses 27 improve rigidity and strength of the bearing frame 11 in comparison to a similar bearing frame where each cut-out is fully free of material.

[0113] In the illustrated embodiment of figure 3, the two diagonal buttresses 27 form a substantially X-shaped pattern. Likewise, each rectangular cut-out 24 is symmetrical about a middle upright plane as well as a middle horizontal plane. This symmetry aids in providing a flexible design bearing frame 11 that may be used for supporting closure members on either side. Asymmetry may lead to a local pressure differences that may be more susceptible to buckling, crumpling, etc. (i.e. unwanted deformation).

[0114] The main purpose of the rectangular cut-outs 24 is to provide space in the wall 20, 21 to allow a functional component to extend into the bearing frame 11. To this end, a mechanic installing the gate post 2, 4 has to manually remove the buttresses 27 of one or more cut-outs 24. This may be most easily achieved by sawing the footpoint edges of each buttress 27, e.g. using a circular saw tool. This avoids that complex tools (e.g. a laser cutter) are needed. In this respect, it is advantageous to have the footpoint edges of each buttress 27 in the upright edges 24c, 24d as compared to having these in the horizontal edges 24a, 24b where an uncareful sawing operation could damage the corners of the I-beam bearing frame 11.

[0115] The main purpose of the opening 25, 26 is to fix functional and / or structural components to the bearing frame 11. Different reference numbers have been used to denote the three openings, namely reference number 25 for the outermost openings which will further be referenced as the opening pair, and reference number 26 for the central opening. As will be described below, the opening pairs 25 are mainly used to fix structural components (e.g. a mounting foot, a top cover, front and back covers, a hinge assembly, a gate closer or actuator, etc.) to the bearing frame 11 whereas the central opening 26 is mainly used to fix functional components (e.g. a cover lock, an electrical enclosure, etc.) to the bearing frame 11. However, this division need not be exclusive and the central opening 26 is typically used when one of the openings of the opening pair 25 is not available or accessible.

[0116] Each opening 25, 26 is dimensioned to receive a threaded fastening member. In this context, the use of circular openings 25, 26 is advantageous, albeit not necessary. In the illustrated embodiment, the openings 25, 26 are dimensioned to receive M8 threaded fastening members.

[0117] In the illustrated embodiment of figure 3, the opening pairs 25 are symmetrical about the middle upright plane and the opening pairs 25 are mutually aligned in the upright direction 15. This allows identical structural end / or functional components to be fixed on the bearing frame 11 at different height locations without modification. It will be appreciated that the opening pairs 25 could be misaligned with the width direction with tolerances of up to 10° offset being possible so that either the left or the right opening is higher or lower than the other.

[0118] As the openings 25, 26 are made in a relatively thin metal plate, it is challenging to provide a thread therein. To this end, clip nuts 28 are provided. An example of such a clip nut 28 is shown in figure 8. The clip nut 28 generally has a clip section 28a and a nut section 28b which provides an inner threaded area. The clip section 28a is formed by a U-shaped member in the illustrated embodiment so that this may easily be clipped on a free edge of the mainly rectangular cut-out 24.

[0119] Placing such a clip nut 28 on the bearing frame 11 is illustrated in figures 7A and 7B. From these figures, it is clear that the clip nut 28 cannot be simply placed on one of the opening pairs 25 directly due to the lack of space caused by the presence of the diagonal buttresses 27. However, the middle area A (indicated in figure 3) of each cut-out 24 is relatively open thus allowing to place the clip nut 28 on the horizontal sidewall 24a, 24b first and then slide it along this sidewall to align with the opening pair 25. In order to provide sufficient space for the clip nuts 28, it is advantageous if the buttresses 27 occupy at most 50% of the middle area A. The same may be achieved by having the maximal separation distance d between the buttresses 27 and the sidewalls 24a, 24b at least 1 cm or at least 25% of the height H of the cut-out 24.

[0120] In the illustrated embodiment, the height H of a cut-out 24 may be anywhere between 3 cm and 15 cm, for example 5 cm, 6 cm or 7 cm. The height H i of the central part of the diagonal buttresses 27 is dependent on the height H of the cut-out and may for example be 2 cm or 3 cm. The width W of a cut-out may be anywhere between 5 cm and 30 cm, for example 8 cm or 10 cm or 12 cm.

[0121] Some alternative repeating pattern of openings are schematically shown in figures 35A to 35C. In these alternatives, the central opening 26 is not present, but may be included if desired.

[0122] In figure 35A, the circular opening pairs 25 are replaced with square opening pairs 25 and the X-shaped diagonal buttresses 27 are replaced by H-shaped diagonal buttresses 27. The advantage of this design is that the buttresses 27 occupy more of the rectangular cut-out 24 thus improving rigidity of the bearing frame 11. However, the trade-off is that clip-nuts are not easily positioned due to a lack of space.

[0123] In figure 35B, the main difference is two-fold. Firstly, there is only a single diagonal buttress 27 per cut-out. Secondly, the corners of the cut-out are not fully formed as the diagonal buttress 27 runs from corner to corner. This design has several disadvantages, namely it requires sawing in two perpendicular directions to remove the diagonal buttress 27 and it may lead to an asymmetrical force distribution especially when various cut-outs 24 are cleared leaving nearly only left-right downwards buttresses (upper form in figure 35B) or nearly only left-right upwards buttresses (lower form in figure 35B). However, the repeating pattern may be easier to form when compared to the X-shaped buttresses 27 of figure 3.

[0124] In figure 35C, each cut-out 24 is provided with a V-shaped buttress 27 or an inverse V-shaped buttress 27. However, if two adjacent cut-outs 24 are considered in combination, the resulting rectangular cut-out (denoted by a dotted line in figure 35C) has diagonal buttresses 27 in a cross-shape. The opening pairs 25 in figure 35C are also in the form of a rhombus in which a cage nut or the like may be inserted to provide a threaded area.

[0125] In general, as part of the present invention, all functional and / or structural components may be mounted to the bearing frame 11 only by means of threaded fastening members, clip nuts 28 and sawing to remove excess buttresses 27. Importantly, no welding is required. As such, the entire bearing frame 11 can have its final finish (e.g. powder lack) already applied during the manufacturing process.

[0126] In order to connect the bearing frame 11 with the ground surface on which the gate post 2, 4 is mounted, a mounting foot is provided. A first kind of mounting foot is not visible from the exterior of the gate post 2, 4 as in the closure system 1 shown in figure 1A. This invisible mounting foot is described in relation to figures 4 and 5. A second kind of mounting foot is partially visible from the exterior of the gate post 2, 4 as in the closure system 1 shown in figure 1B. This flange-based mounting foot is described in relation to figure 6. The mounting foot is regarded as a structural component of the gate post 2, 4.

[0127] Figure 4 illustrates a first mounting foot 29 designed to be non-visible from the outside of the gate post 2, 4. The mounting foot 29 has a general H-shaped horizontal cross-section best shown in figure 5 with elongated openings 34 in the bottom plate to fix the mounting foot 29 to the ground surface. The mounting foot 29 has a front wall 29a, a back wall 29b which is generally parallel to the front wall 29a, and a web 29c connecting the walls 29a, 29b. The walls 29a, 29b extend in the width direction 16 whereas the web 29c generally extends in the depth direction 17. The walls 29a, 29b are parallel to and adjacent a respective one of the front wall 21 and back wall 20 of the bearing frame 11. The large contact surface area between the walls 29a, 29b of the mounting foot 29 and the walls 20, 21 of the bearing frame 11 aid in securely placing the bearing frame 11 and thus the gate post 2, 4.

[0128] In the illustrated embodiment, the mounting foot 29 is provided with elongated slots 32 in the walls 29a, 29b in which nut elements 31 are slidably placed. These nut-elements 31 provide a threaded area in which threaded fastening members 30 are received. Along the length of the elongated slots 32, a few elongated openings 33 are provided which allow fastening members 30 to extend therethrough. In this way, various of the opening pairs 25 are in the bearing frame walls 20, 21 allow placing a threaded fastening member 30 therein which extends into the nut elements 31 thus fixing the bearing frame 11 to the mounting foot 29. The use of elongated openings and slots allows to vary the position of the bearing frame 11 to the mounting foot 29 in the upright direction 15.

[0129] Figure 6 illustrates a second mounting foot 29'. This second mounting foot 29' has generally rectangular cross-section with walls adjacent the bearing frame walls and a flange foot 35 with openings 34 to fix the mounting foot 29' to the ground surface. In the mounting foot 29', threaded openings 33 are provided (e.g. by tapping a thread therein) thus allowing threaded fastening members 30 to extend through opening pairs 25 in the bearing frame walls 20, 21 into the mounting foot 29' thus fixing the bearing frame 11 to the mounting foot 29'.

[0130] The main advantage of the flange-based mounting foot 29' is the improved strength and rigidity as compared to the H-shaped mounting foot 29. This is due to the larger cross-sectional area and the flange. In this way, thinner metal may be used for manufacturing the foot 29' (e.g. 3 mm) than the foot 29 which may have a thickness of 1 cm to 2 cm. Each mounting foot 29, 29' is preferably at least 15 cm high so that multiple opening pairs 25 overlap with the mounting foot.

[0131] Figure 9 illustrates how an electrical enclosure 36 (which is considered a functional component) may be mounted into the bearing frame 11. To this end, the middle two cut-outs 24 are fully removed as well as the wall section separating them (as is clear when comparing figures 2 and 9) thus creating a rectangular mounting space 39 in the front wall 21 or the back wall 20 of the bearing frame 11. The electrical enclosure 36 has a base housing 36b to be morticed in the free space 39. Clip nuts 28 are provided in line with the central openings 26 to mount the base housing 36b to the bearing frame 11 by means of threaded fastening members 38. This ensures that the base housing 36b is securely fixed to the bearing frame 11. Afterwards, a mechanic may install all required electrical connections, circuitry, fuses, etc. needed (naturally depending on the user-selected functionality) in the electrical enclosure.

[0132] In the framework of an electrical enclosure 36, waterproofing is crucial. To this end, the bottom of the housing 36b has various rubber sealing rings 37 allowing wires to pass through the housing 36b in a leak-free manner. The electrical enclosure 36 is sealed by a cover 36a which is attached to the base 36b by means of threaded fasteners 40. In order to reduce the leakage risk, the fasteners 40 are present in each corner of the cover 36a. This requires the opening pairs 25 to be free as this may otherwise hamper the fasteners 40. Reducing the leakage risk thus requires the base housing 36b to be fastened to the bearing frame 11 by means of the central openings 26.

[0133] Figures 10 and 11 illustrate how a top cover 41 (which is regarded as a structural component of the gate post 2, 4) may be mounted on the bearing frame 11. To this end, a generally H-shaped mounting bracket 43 is provided having a front wall 43a, a rear wall 43b and a web 43c. The construction of the mounting bracket 43 is generally similar to the mounting foot 29. The walls 43a, 43b are parallel and adjacent to the walls 20, 21 of the bearing frame 11 and are provided with elongated slots 46 in which square nuts 44 are slidably received. Threaded fastening members 45 extend through opening pairs 35 in the bearing frame walls 20, 21 into the nuts 44 thereby fixing the mounting bracket 43 to the bearing frame 11. The web 43c has a threaded area 47 allowing the top cover 41 to be fastened to the bracket 43 by means of another threaded member 42. In another embodiment, the mounting bracket 43 and the top cover 41 may be fixed to one another by means of key cylinder (e.g. a Euro cylinder). This improves security as an unauthorized user cannot dismantle the top cover without damaging it. Again the slidable nuts 43 allow for aligning properly in the upright direction 15.

[0134] Figure 12 illustrates a gate closer 48 (which is considered a functional component) inserted into the bearing frame 11. Like with the mounting foot 29, 29' or the H-shaped mounting bracket 43, the gate closer 48 has an outer housing with threaded openings (not shown) therein to allow fixing the gate closer 48 to the bearing frame 11 by means of threaded fastening members extending through opening pairs 25. The gate closer 48 has an arm 49 projecting from the top of the bearing frame 11 (i.e. the top of the gate post 2) to connect to the closure member 3. Various gate closers 48 are known in the art (e.g. spring biased gate closers as disclosed in in WO 2012 / 103572; hydraulically damped spring based gate closers as disclosed in WO 2018 / 228729; and motor-driven gate actuators as disclosed in WO 2019 / 048359) and may be used in a gate post 2 according to the present invention.

[0135] It will be appreciated that the diagonal buttresses 27 in one of the rectangular cut-outs 24 may be removed. This provides a free space that allows easily reaching the gate closer 48. A mechanic can thus easily reach the gate closer 48 and make adjustments (e.g. closing speed) thereto. The same space can also enable a user to uncouple the gate closer 48 which is especially useful for motor-operated gate closers 48 which may otherwise maintain the closure member 3 in the closed state during a power failure.

[0136] The fastening of a hinge 5 (i.e. a structural component of the gate post 2) on the bearing frame 11 is visualized in figures 13 and 14. In the illustrated embodiment, the gate facing side 18 of the bearing frame 11 is provided with two openings 50. A reinforcement bar 51 is positioned inside the bearing frame 11 adjacent the gate facing side 18. The reinforcement bar 51 has threaded openings 53. In this way, threaded fasteners 52 provided on the hinge 5 extend through the openings 50 into the threaded openings 53 thus fixing the hinge 5 to the bearing frame 11 whilst at the same time providing a reinforcing bar 51 to locally strengthen the bearing frame 11. It will be appreciated that the reinforcing bar 51 could be formed as part of the H-shaped mounting bracket 43 thus providing a better connection to the bearing frame 11.

[0137] Figure 15 shows a front view of a cover profile 12 to be attached to the bearing frame 11 in order to form the gate post 2, 4. A horizontal cross-section through the cover profile 12 is shown in figure 16 and shows that this cross-section is generally C-shaped. More specifically, in its cross-section, the cover profile 12 has a front side 55 extending between opposing ends 55a, 55b from which two upstanding sides 56 extend backwards between a front end 56a (contiguous with one of the ends 55a, 55b) to a rear end 56b. From each rear end 56b, a back wall section 57 extends inwards to a free end 57a.

[0138] As shown in figure 17, the C-shaped cover profile 12 allows for easily mounting functional components thereto. To this end, a functional component 8 is provided which has an outer housing in which two (or more) through-openings 63 are provided to receive threaded fastening members 62. In the illustrated embodiment of figure 17, this component 8 is a keypad for which apertures 58 are made in the front side 55 of the cover profile 12. Naturally, different apertures may be needed for different functional components as is clear from figure 1A. For each functional component 8, at least one (preferably two) mounting bars 59 are provided. Each bar 59 extends between two free ends and is provided with a threaded hole 64. In figure 17, the threaded area is formed by the placement of a square nut 61 in a slot-like opening 60.

[0139] The mounting bar 59 is placed adjacent the inner wall of the front side 55 with the free ends extending into the C-shaped spaces. In other words, the mounting bar 59 overlaps with the back wall sections 57. By fastening the threaded fastening members 62, the back wall sections 57 are effectively clamped between the mounting bar 59 and the outer housing of the functional component 8. This is best shown in figure 18 which also shows the bearing frame 11 with the front cover 12 disposed in the recessed area 22.

[0140] The same system may be used to mount a whole variety of functional components 8 onto the front or back cover 12. Examples of such functional components are access control means (e.g. keypad, videophone, camera, intercom, fingerprint scanner, doorbell, etc.), lighting elements, placeholder for identification information (e.g. house number, resident name, etc.), a letter box, etc.

[0141] An alternative mounting bar 59' is illustrated in figure 36. The main difference is the free space 70 provided between the threaded holes 64. This allows larger functional components 8 to be fixed to the cover profile 12.

[0142] A different functional component 8 is shown in figures 19 and 20. This functional component 8 is a combination (going from down to up) of a doorbell, a resident name tag, a keypad, and a light. Figure 19 shows the finished gate post 4, whereas figure 20 shows an exploded view. In figure 20, it is evident that several of the cut-outs 24 have been removed along with their buttresses 27 thereby forming an open space 65 in the bearing frame 11 into which the functional component 8 extends. However, the functional component 8 is itself not fixed to the bearing frame 11 but is fixed to the front cover 12 by means of mounting bars 59 and fasteners 62 in the same way as described above in relation to figures 17 and 18.

[0143] An alternative cover profile 12' is shown in figure 18. This cover profile 12' still relies on the C-shaped sections 56, 57 when viewed in the horizontal cross-section thus maintaining the advantages of easily mounting functional components thereon. The main difference is this cover profile 12' is that the front side 55 is shorter leaving free recesses 68 on either side of the cover profile 12' to the bearing frame 11. The upstanding walls 56 are also moved inwards providing a free volume 67 behind each side of the front 55. This free volume 67 may be used to place a LED strip 66 therein thus providing indirect lighting along one or two upright lines in the gate post 2, 4.

[0144] Figure 22 shows another variation of a free gate post 4 where a functional component 8 in the form a videophone is provided. In order to maximize the width dimension of the functional component 8, the cover profile 12 is split into two separate parts, i.e. an upper cover 12a and a lower cover 12b. Due to the split cover 12, the functional component 8 is fixed directly to the bearing frame 11. To this end, a few cut-outs 24 are removed and clip nuts 28 are placed in two opening pairs 25. The functional component 8 has a housing with upper and lower edge 67 in which openings 68 are provided. Threaded fastening members 66 extend through the openings 68 into the clip nuts 28 to fasten the functional component 8 to the bearing frame 11.

[0145] The cover parts 12a, 12b, due to their C-shaped cross-sections, further hook behind the edges 27. More specifically, the edges 67 are received between the front side 55 and the back wall sections 57 of the cover parts 12a, 12b. In this way, the end of the cover parts 12a, 12b adjacent the functional component 8 is held in place.

[0146] Figures 23 to 27 generally show how the cover profile 12 is fixed to the bearing frame 11. Several mechanism are used in combination in order to have a secure connection. More specifically, there is a lower holding rail set 71 shown in figure 24B, an upper holding rail set 72 shown in figure 24A, and a top cover rim 73.

[0147] The top cover rim 73, as shown in figure 24A, extends downwards. Once the cover profile 12 is mounted to the bearing frame 11, the top cover 41 is placed on top. In this manner, the top cover rim 73 overlaps with an upper area of the cover profile 12 thus holding the cover profile 12 in place. As described above, the top cover 41 is itself fixed to the bearing frame 11 by means of the H-shaped bracket 43.

[0148] The lower holding rail set 71 is shown in exploded view in figure 25 and comprises a base rail 74, a reinforcing bar 75 and spring-biased edges 76. As shown in the cross-sections of figures 26 and 27, these components are joined together by threaded fastening members 77 engaging in clip nuts 28 mounted on an opening pair 25 in the bearing frame 11. As best shown in figure 27, the spring-biased edges 76 hold the back wall sections 57 of the cover profile 12. Furthermore, the base rail 74 may have a wider lower section 74a which, in the width direction 16, extends beyond the upstanding edges 76. In order to position the cover profile 12, it is lifted so that the back wall sections 57 slide behind the wide lower section 74a.

[0149] The upper holding rail set 72 is similar to the lower holding rail set 71 with the exception that a wider section is not practical as the cover profile 12 cannot be lifted and slid behind the upper holding rail set 72. The upper holding rail set 72 has a base rail, a reinforcing bar and spring-biased edges which are fixed to the bearing frame 11 by means of threaded fastening members 78 extending into clip nuts 28 aligned with an opening pair 25 in the bearing frame 11. The spring-biased edges thus act as a temporary holding means until the top cover 41 is securely position causing the cover profile 12 to be held by the top cover rim 73.

[0150] Figures 28 to 30 show an additional key cylinder 80 (e.g. a so-called Euro-cylinder corresponding to standard DIN 18252 / 2020-04) for locking the cover profile 12 to the bearing frame 11. To this end, the bearing frame 11 is provided with a latch plate 83 that is inserted into a removed cut-out 84 and fixed with fasteners 85 to the central openings 26 adjacent the free cut-out 84 as shown in figures 28 and 30. As shown in figure 29, on the inside of the cover profile 12, a mounting rail 86 is fastened to the back wall sections 57 using fasteners 87. This is the same principle as how a functional component 8 is mounted to the cover profile 12. After the cover profile 12 is fitted to bearing frame 11, the key cylinder 80 is pushed through the cylinder-shaped opening 88 in the latch plate. Actuating the key cylinder 80 causes a rotation of the rotary bit 81 which is then caught behind the latch plate 83 thereby preventing the cover profile 12 from being moved.

[0151] Although aspects of the present disclosure have been described with respect to specific embodiments, it will be readily appreciated that these aspects may be implemented in other forms within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims.

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0096]The present invention will be described with respect to particular embodiments and with reference to certain drawings but the invention is not limited thereto but only by the claims. The drawings described are only schematic and are non-limiting. In the drawings, the size of some of the elements may be exaggerated and not drawn on scale for illustrative purposes. The dimensions and the relative dimensions do not necessarily correspond to actual reductions to practice of the invention.

[0097]Furthermore, the terms first, second, third and the like in the description and in the claims, are used for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a sequential or chronological order. The terms are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances and the embodiments of the invention can operate in other sequences than described or illustrated herein.

[0098]Moreover, the terms top, bottom, over, under, left, right, front, back, and the like in the description...

Claims

1. A gate post (2, 4) extending in an upright direction (15), the gate post comprising: - a bearing frame (11) configured for supporting a gate (3), the bearing frame comprising: - a gate facing side wall (18) and an opposite side wall (19) which are mutually parallel and extend in a depth direction (17) between a front edge and a back edge, the depth direction being perpendicular to the upright direction; and - a front wall (21) and a back wall (20) which are mutually parallel and extend in a width direction (16) between a gate facing edge and an opposite edge, the width direction being perpendicular to both the upright direction and the depth direction, the front wall having a recessed area (22), and a front cover (12) disposed in the recessed area and mounted on the bearing frame, the front cover having: - a front side (55) extending in the width direction between a first edge (55a) and a second edge (55b) opposite the first edge; - a first upstanding wall section (56) extending in the depth direction away from the first edge between a proximal end (56a) contiguous with the first edge and a distal end (56b) and a second upstanding wall section (56) extending in the depth direction away from the second edge between a proximal end (56a) contiguous with the second edge and a distal end (56b); and - a first back wall section (57) extending in the width direction away from the distal end of the first upstanding wall section and a second back wall section (57) extending in the width direction away from the distal end of the second upstanding wall section.

2. The gate post according to claim 1, characterised in that the gate post further comprises at least two mounting blocks (59, 59') each engaging the front cover and configured to mount a functional component (8) onto the front cover, wherein the mounting blocks are preferably part of a single mounting bar.

3. The gate post according to claim 2, characterised in that the mounting blocks are spaced apart in the width direction so that a first mounting block is adjacent the first upstanding wall section and a second mounting block is adjacent the second upstanding wall section, each mounting block being provided with holes (64), wherein preferably the at least one mounting bar extends between a first end adjacent the first upstanding wall section and a second end adjacent the second upstanding wall section, and in that the gate post further comprises a functional component having a housing which is fixed to the mounting blocks by means of threaded fixation members (62) extending into the hole.

4. The gate post according to claim 3, characterised in that the first back wall section and the second back wall section are clamped between the mounting blocks and the housing of the functional component.

5. The gate post according to claim 3 or 4, characterised in that the holes have a screw threaded area, wherein the screw threaded area is preferably formed by non-circular nut elements (61) inserted in corresponding slots (60) in the mounting blocks.

6. The gate post according to any one of claims 3 to 5, characterised in that the gate post comprises the functional component is one of: access control means, such as a keypad, a videophone, a camera, fingerprint scanner, etc., a letterbox, dwelling identification information, resident identification information, and lighting means, a cover lock.

7. The gate post according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that a locking cylinder (80) is interposed between the bearing frame and the front cover and is configured to lock the front cover to the bearing frame.

8. The gate post according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the rear wall has a recessed area (22) in which a rear cover (12) is disposed, the rear cover being particularly substantially identical to the front cover.

9. The gate post according to claim 8, characterised in that the gate post comprises a top cover (41) mounted on the top of the gate post, the top cover having a rim edge (73) extending away from the top of the gate post, wherein an upper area of the front cover and / or the rear cover engages an inside of the rim edge.

10. The gate post according to claim 9, characterised in that the gate post further comprises a top cover mounting bracket (43) fixed to the inside of the recessed areas of the front wall and the rear wall with the top covering being fastened to the top cover mounting bracket.

11. The gate post according to any one of claims 7 to 10, characterised in that the gate post further comprises: - a reinforcement bar (51) extending in the depth direction between a front end and a back end and positioned adjacent an inner side of the gate facing side wall of the bearing frame with the front end adjacent the front edge and with the back end adjacent the back edge; and - a hinge (5) mounted on the gate facing side wall of the bearing frame and preferably fixed to the reinforcement bar.

12. The gate post according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the bearing frame is provided with: - a bottom holding rail (71) with the first back wall section and the second back wall section being positioned between the bottom holding rail and the bearing frame; and / or - at least one holding rail (72) extending in the width direction, each rail having upstanding edges (76) at its opposing ends which extend away from the bearing frame in the depth direction, the upstanding edges comprising leaf spring members which engage a respective one of the first and second back wall section of the front cover.

13. The gate post according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that: - the front cover is integrally formed, in particular by folding a metal plate; and / or - the front side of the cover is flush with the non-recessed area of the front wall.

14. The gate post according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the first edge and / or the second edge of the front cover are spaced apart from the non-recessed area of the front wall, and in that the first and / or second upstanding wall section are indented with respect to a respective one of the first edge and the second edge to allow placing a LED strip (66) therein.

15. A method for mounting a functional component (8) on a gate post (2, 4) according to any one of the preceding claims, the method comprising: - positioning a mounting bar (59) on an inner side of the front cover, the mounting bar having opposing ends which are adjacent respective ones of the upstanding wall sections; - providing a functional component having a housing; - fixing the functional component to the mounting bar by means of threaded fixation members (62) extending through the housing and into threaded areas (64) of the mounting bar thereby clamping the back wall sections between the mounting bar and the housing; - positioning the front cover in the recessed area (22); and - securing the front cover to the bearing frame (11).

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