Support ring

Abstract

support ring A support ring for supporting a blade of a garden fencing panel of the type consisting of a wire mesh with vertical wires between which the blades are inserted and horizontal transverse wires against which the blades are pressed by means of one or more transverse profiles, wherein the support ring is made as a profile with a hook-shaped elastic portion with which the support ring can be clamped onto a transverse wire and a support portion with an elastic lip for supporting a lower end of a blade, wherein the elastic lip comprises a straight portion and a curved portion, wherein the support ring consists of a transparent thermoplastic polymer.

Description

Title of the invention: Support ring Technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to a support ring for supporting a blade in a garden fencing panel with a wire mesh. STATE OF THE ART

[0002] Such a support ring is known from grant BE 1021263. The support ring is intended to support a blade of a garden fence panel. In this context, the garden fence panel is of a type consisting of a wire mesh with vertical wires, between which the blades are inserted, and horizontal transverse wires. The blade is supported by a support ring, wherein the support ring comprises a hook-shaped portion and a support portion with an elastic lip. The hook-shaped portion is clamped onto the horizontal transverse wires. The blade can be clamped into the support portion of the support ring from below.

[0003] The support ring of the BE 1021263 grant has a problem in that, over time, the support ring loses its clamping force. As a result, the blade becomes loose in the support ring causing the blade to rattle in strong winds and even detach.

[0004] The present invention constitutes an improvement of the support ring in grant BE 1021263 and aims to provide a solution to one or more of the aforementioned and other drawbacks. Summary of the invention

[0005] The invention relates to a support ring as described below. An advantage of using a thermoplastic polymer is that it can take a liquid state at high temperature. It is therefore very easy to shape a thermoplastic material at high temperature by injection molding in a mold. Another advantage of using a polymer, more particularly polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) is that it can be used as a substitute for glass. Indeed, PMMA has a transparency that approaches that of glass. Another advantage of PMMA is that this material has ideal rigidity in solid form. In addition, PMMA is very advantageous because it is very resistant to UV rays, extending the life of the support ring.

[0006] Preferred modes of use according to the invention are described below.

[0007] A support ring having a preferred shape in which the ratio of the height of the resilient lip to the width of the support ring is less than 1 has the advantage that such a ratio ensures that the elastic lip has sufficient elasticity to allow the lip to move outward when a blade is inserted. In addition, thanks to such a ratio, the support ring will not twist when the blade is inserted.

[0008] Another preferred mode of use is such that the height of the resilient lip is at least 1.5 times and at most 2 times the height of the hook-shaped part, with the advantage that by this ratio the height of the elastic lip, which exerts a clamping force on the blade, is not chosen too large. In this way, the clamping force of the elastic lip on the blade is not too low, which could cause the blade to rattle in strong winds.

[0009] Generally, garden fencing panels are sold as a construction kit comprising a wire mesh; the slats; one or more cross sections and one or more support rings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0010] Unless otherwise stated, all terms used in the description of the invention, including technical and scientific terms, are used in the sense as generally understood by those skilled in the technical field of the invention. For a better judgment of the description of the invention, the following terms are explicitly explained.

[0011] When "about" or "roughly" is used herein, a measurable quantity, parameter, duration or moment etc. means variations of + / -20% or less, preferably + / -10% or less, more preferably + / -5% or less, even more preferably + / -1% or less, and even more preferably + / -0.1% or less of the cited value, as long as such variations apply to the above invention. However, the value of the quantity with which the term "about" or "roughly" is used, must itself be specifically expressed.

[0012] Quoting numerical intervals by means of endpoints includes all integers, fractions and / or real numbers between the endpoints, including these endpoints.

[0013] The term "support ring" refers, in the context of the present invention, to a transition element or a connecting element adapted to fix a blade relative to a garden fence panel. Said support ring preferably comprises a support foot or a support part and a suspension or hook part. The support foot and the suspension are preferably connected by a transition bridge which is designed as a common wall. The common wall has a first face facing the support foot and a second face facing the suspension. Said support ring is to be understood as a support surface on which a blade can be placed. Preferably, said support foot comprises a protrusion which can be positioned in a recess on the underside of said blade. Said suspension is to be understood as a hook for suspending the support ring from the wall or horizontal wire.

[0014] The term "blade" is to be understood as a predominantly beam-shaped object with a length, a width and a depth. In the longitudinal direction, the blade is delimited by a first lower end and a second upper end. Preferably, said blade is hollow with an open base and upper surface; that is, the first lower end and the second upper end comprise an open surface that defines the internal cavity of the blade.

[0015] In a first aspect, the invention relates to a support ring for supporting a blade in a garden fencing panel.

[0016] According to a preferred embodiment, the invention relates to a support ring for supporting a blade in a garden fence panel. The garden fence panel is of the type consisting of a wire mesh with vertical wires and horizontal transverse wires. Between the vertical wires, the blades are inserted, wherein the blades are pushed against the horizontal transverse wires by means of one or more transverse profiles. The support ring is designed as a profile with a hook-shaped elastic part with which the support ring can be clamped onto a transverse wire. Furthermore, the support ring is equipped with a support part with an elastic lip for supporting a lower end of a blade, the elastic lip comprising a straight part and a curved part. The support ring is made of a transparent thermoplastic polymer, preferably polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA).The slats of the garden mesh panel form a sort of screen against the views of passers-by and a windbreak.

[0017] PMMA is very advantageous because it is used as a substitute for glass, PMMA having a transparency of approximately 92%. A PMMA support ring is practically invisible after installation. In addition, due to this high transparency, PMMA absorbs less radiation than many other plastics used, especially UV rays. Because of PMMA's high resistance to UV rays, its properties are less easily affected. A PMMA support ring, exerting a clamping force on a cross wire and a wall of a blade, will therefore retain its clamping force much longer. Over time, UV rays make many types of plastic dry and brittle. A support ring could break and cause the blade to detach from the garden fencing panel. Another advantage is that PMMA, which is a thermoplastic polymer, liquefies at high temperatures. For this reason, PMMA is suitable perfectly suited to the use of injection molding in a mold, which allows PMMA to easily take a certain shape without deviation and with high tolerances. After cooling, PMMA regains its properties before heating.

[0018] In a preferred embodiment, the thermoplastic polymer has a modulus of elasticity between 1600 and 2000 MPa. The modulus of elasticity in question is necessary because the support ring exerts a force on a transverse wire, which clamps the support ring so that it cannot move or rotate on its own around the transverse wire. Furthermore, the support ring, more precisely the elastic lip, exerts a force on a blade of a garden fence panel, so that the blade does not move in the event of strong gusts of wind. Here, the modulus of elasticity is related to the clamping force of the support ring.

[0019] The elasticity mode of PMMA is preferably at least 1650MPa, more preferably at least 1700MPa and preferably at most 1900MPa, more preferably at most 1800MPa, even more preferably at most 1750MPa.

[0020] The use of PMMA is very advantageous here, because PMMA has a rigidity that is very suitable for use in a support ring. The rigidity of PMMA allows for a greater clamping force compared to other plastics previously used. The support ring can thus be better clamped on the cross wire and the blade will also be better clamped, which allows for better support of the blade in the garden mesh panel.

[0021] According to one embodiment of the support ring, the hook-shaped portion is designed so that it can be clamped onto cross wires having at least two different diameters, for example, onto cross wires having a usual diameter of 4 mm and onto cross wires having a usual diameter of 5.2 mm.

[0022] The use of a support ring, which can be clamped on several diameters, is very advantageous. It is a material saving because a single ring is compatible with wire panels of different diameters. In addition, it is less confusing for the user because it considerably reduces the number of choices.

[0023] According to one embodiment, the hook-shaped portion is formed by a substantially U-shaped, rounded curved portion with two legs. Of the two legs, at least one comprises a narrow, S-shaped curved leg that forms a constriction with the other leg. The constriction forms a narrowed opening with which the hook-shaped portion can be clamped onto a corresponding cross wire. Here, the width of the constriction is narrower than the diameter of the thinnest cross wire to which the support ring is intended to be attached. For example, narrower than a diameter of 4 mm.

[0024] The S-shaped tab allows the corresponding cross wire to be fixed in the hook-shaped part of the support ring. The S-shape ensures that the The cross wire is clamped at two opposite points on the cross wire. This keeps the support ring tight on the cross wire and prevents it from slipping. The internal curvature of the S-shaped tab is similar for the upper part to that of the lower part, with the lower part having an internal curvature with a radius between 1.2 mm - 2 mm.

[0025] The internal curvature of the lower part of the S-shaped leg has a radius between 1.25 mm - 1.95 mm, preferably 1.3 mm - 1.9 mm, more preferably 1.35 mm - 1.9 mm, even more preferably 1.4 mm - 1.85 mm, even more preferably 1.45 mm - 1.8 mm, even more preferably 1.5 mm - 1.75 mm, even more preferably 1.55 mm - 1.7 mm, even more preferably 1.6 mm - 1.65 mm.

[0026] Such a radius of curvature is very advantageous because it allows a greater clamping force of the hook-shaped portion on the cross wire, for which it is intended to be used. This allows the support ring to be better clamped on the cross wire. This increases the probability that the support ring will not rotate around the cross wire when the blade is inserted.

[0027] According to one embodiment, the other leg of the hook-shaped portion is a straight leg. Here, the straight leg located at the bottom of the rounded U-shaped curved portion connects to a thickening via a bend in the inner wall. The bend in the inner wall has a radius of curvature approximately equal to that of the cross wire of the largest diameter on which the support ring is intended to be clamped. For example, a radius of curvature of 2.6 mm for a thickest cross wire of 5.2 mm. For cross wires with a usual diameter of 4 mm and 5.2 mm, respectively, the width of the narrowing is preferably between 2.4 and 2.8 mm, more preferably about 2.6 mm.

[0028] An advantage of the thickening, which is provided at the bottom of the rounded U-shaped curved portion, is that it ensures that the elastic deformation when clamping the support ring onto a cross wire takes place on the S-shaped tab. This elastic deformation is counteracted, this counteracted force providing the clamping force on the cross wire. Another advantage of the thickening is that it provides a sufficiently large bearing surface to accommodate the cross wire, since the weight of the blade and the support ring itself ends up on the corresponding thickening of the support ring. This is a guarantee that the bearing surface will not fatigue or break, which could lead to the breakage of the support ring.

[0029] According to a preferred embodiment, in a direction perpendicular to the narrowing of the hook-shaped portion, the narrowing is located at a distance from said thickening on the base of the rounded U-shaped curved portion. The respective distance is, here, approximately equal to the diameter of the wire thickest cross wire for which the support ring is intended. The shortest distance between the bend and the S-shaped tab is less than the smallest diameter of the cross wire on which the support ring is intended to be clamped. Thanks to this design and proportions, the support ring can be firmly clamped on cross wires of different diameters without the support ring unintentionally twisting freely around the cross wire.

[0030] According to one embodiment, the support portion is formed by a gutter-shaped seat for supporting a lower end of a blade or a portion thereof. The gutter-shaped seat is bounded by two walls, a first wall and a second wall respectively. The first wall is formed by a resilient elastic lip with a portion curved towards the second wall. This is to clamp the relevant end of a blade or a portion thereof which is inserted into the gutter-shaped seat.

[0031] According to one embodiment, the curved portion of the elastic resilient lip extends obliquely on the center line of the gutter-shaped seat. Preferably, up to or beyond the geometric plane of the outside of the second wall of the seat. In addition, the straight portion of the lip comprises a length of 14 mm - 21 mm.

[0032] The length of the straight part is between 14.5 mm - 20.5 mm, preferably between 15 mm - 20 mm, more preferably between 15.5 mm - 19.5 mm, even more preferably between 16 mm - 19 mm, even more preferably between 16.5 mm - 18.5 mm.

[0033] However, since the curved portion now extends along said centerline, a greater force can be exerted on the inner wall of a blade. This is necessary, however, because the resilient lip extends far into the hollow lower portion of the blade. Since the resilient lip is located far into the inner portion of the blade, leverage will more easily push the resilient lip away from the hook-shaped portion when inserting the blade into the gutter-shaped portion of the support ring. This would reduce the clamping force of the resilient lip, which would be disadvantageous when clamping a blade. This is offset by the fact that said curvature of the resilient lip extends along the centerline of the gutter-shaped seat. Since the resilient lip now extends further into the blade, the blade is better supported in the support ring.If there is some play on the blade, there is less risk of the blade being torn from the support ring by strong gusts of wind.

[0034] According to another embodiment, the second wall of the gutter-shaped seat is formed by said straight leg of the rounded U-shaped curved part of the hook-shaped part of the support ring.

[0035] According to another embodiment, the resilient lip has a straight portion that is parallel to the second portion and a curved portion that is an extension of the straight portion. The ratio of the height of the resilient lip to the width of the support ring is less than 1.

[0036] An advantage of this ratio is that the spring effect, which the clamping force exerts on the blade wall, is guaranteed, so that the spring effect is suitable for firmly clamping the blade in the support ring. An elastic lip that is too long would cause the blade to be clamped too loosely in the support ring. The blade would not be clamped sufficiently in the garden fence panel, which would cause the blade to rattle in strong gusts of wind. In contrast to an elastic lip that is too long, an elastic lip that is too short is too stiff. This could cause the entire support ring to twist around the cross wire when a blade is inserted. Therefore, the support ring must be repositioned, which can be inconvenient.In other words, such a ratio has been chosen so that the clamping force of the resilient lip on a blade, when inserted, is not greater than the clamping force of the hook-shaped portion on the cross wire.

[0037] According to a preferred embodiment, the height of the resilient lip is at least 1.5 times and at most 2 times the height of the hook-shaped portion.

[0038] An advantage of such a ratio is that the clamping force is guaranteed in such a way that it does not become too weak due to said leverage effect. If, for example, this clamping force becomes too weak because the height of the resilient lip is too large, the blade will no longer be supported and clamped. This allows the blade to move freely in the support ring. If the resilient lip is then too small, the resilient lip may be too stiff and will rotate on a support ring on a transverse thread as described above.

[0039] Compliance with the two proportions mentioned above always guarantees a correct length of the resilient lip, so that the support ring, which is tightened on the transverse wire, does not twist. In addition, the blade will always be sufficiently tightened in the support ring.

[0040] According to one embodiment, the support ring is intended to clamp a hollow blade with two opposing walls. The gutter-shaped seat of the support ring is intended to support and clamp one of the two walls at one end of the blade. Since only one wall is clamped, the resilient lip is not visible at the relevant end of the blade without restricting the support of the blade.

[0041] According to one embodiment, the width of the gutter-shaped seat is slightly greater than the thickness of the wall of a blade to be clamped, preferably approximately double.

[0042] First, the support ring is clamped between two longitudinal wires on a transverse wire, the elastic lip being directed upwards. Then, a blade is pushed downwards between the corresponding longitudinal wires until it passes over the elastic lip, being guided between the transverse wires and the transverse profiles.

[0043] The wall at the lower end of the blade then slides into the seat, pushing the elastic lip toward the opposite wall, so that the lip, by its elastic resilient effect, exerts a squeezing reaction force on the inside of the wall, sufficient to prevent the blade from being blown away by a strong gust of wind.

[0044] A final object of the invention is a construction kit for assembling a garden mesh panel comprising a wire mesh formed by connected longitudinal wires and transverse wires; blades which can be inserted longitudinally between the longitudinal wires in the wire mesh to form a panel, one or more transverse profiles which can be inserted into the wire mesh through the blades to press the blades against the transverse wires; and one or more support ring bars according to one of the preceding claims.

[0045] The present invention is in no way limited to the embodiment described by way of example, but a support ring according to the invention can be made in all kinds of shapes and sizes without departing from the scope of the invention. For example

[0046] The support ring comprises two functional parts, i.e., a hook-shaped elastic part and a support part. The hook-shaped part is the part with which the support ring can be clamped on a transverse wire. The support part is the part where the lower end of a blade can be clamped.

[0047] The hook-shaped portion comprises a substantially U-shaped rounded curved portion with two legs. Here, according to one embodiment, a first leg is stretched in a straight line and the other is bent in an S-shape to form a constriction with the first leg. The constriction between the two legs forms a constricted opening with which the hook-shaped portion can be clamped onto a corresponding transverse wire. The width of the constriction is narrower than the diameter d of the thinnest transverse wire on which the support ring is intended to be fixed, for example, narrower than a diameter of 4 mm.

[0048] The S-shaped tab ensures that the cross wire is clamped in the hook-shaped part, i.e. it is clamped on two opposite parts of the cross wire. This keeps the support ring tight on the cross wire and prevents it from slipping. The S-shaped tab is narrower than the support ring of BE '263, more precisely the upper part of the S-shaped tab. In this way, a greater clamping force can be exerted on the cross wire. This allows better tighten the support ring and reduce the risk of the support ring rotating around the cross wire when sliding a blade over the elastic lip of the support ring.

[0049] In addition, the rounded U-shaped curved portion includes a thickening to which the straight leg connects via a bend in the inner wall of the hook-shaped portion. The bend has a radius of curvature R approximately equal to that of the cross wire of the largest diameter onto which the support ring is intended to be clamped.

[0050] In a direction perpendicular to the narrowing, i.e. parallel to the tab, the narrowing is located at a distance from said thickening. This distance is approximately equal to or less than the diameter of the thickest transverse wire D for which the support ring is intended to be clamped. The shortest distance between the bend and the S-shaped tab is less than a transverse wire with the smallest diameter d.

[0051] The support portion comprises a gutter-shaped seat for supporting the lower end of a blade. The gutter-shaped seat is bounded by two walls, a first wall formed by a lower straight portion and a second wall respectively. The second wall is approximately parallel to the straight portion, the second wall corresponding to the straight leg of the hook-shaped portion. The support portion further comprises a resilient lip, comprising the lower straight portion, as described above, and comprising, in its extension, the curved portion. The curved portion is curved in the direction of the second wall to enclose a wall at the lower end of a blade in the gutter-shaped seat. The curved portion of the resilient lip extends obliquely across the central plane of the gutter-shaped seat, preferably toward or beyond the geometric plane of the outer face of the second wall of the seat.The curved portion is therefore more curved compared to the support ring of the BE '263. In addition, the straight portion of the resilient lip is longer than the support ring of the previous embodiment of the BE '263.

[0052] When inserting the blade into a garden fencing panel between two lengths of wire, the blade will eventually end up in the support ring. When the blade is pushed into the support ring, the resilient lip will have leverage in the tip, pushing the resilient lip in a direction away from the hook-shaped portion. Due to the elastic properties of the resilient lip, it will exert an opposing force on the blade, which is the clamping force of the blade.

Claims

Claims

1. A support ring for supporting a blade in a garden fence panel of the type consisting of a wire mesh with vertical wires between which the blades are inserted and horizontal transverse wires against which the blades are pressed by means of one or more transverse profiles, wherein the support ring is made in the form of a profile with a hook-shaped elastic portion with which the support ring can be clamped onto a transverse wire and a support portion with an elastic lip for supporting a lower end of a blade, wherein the elastic lip comprises a straight portion and a curved portion, characterized in that the support ring is made of a transparent thermoplastic polymer, preferably polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), and in that the thermoplastic polymer has a modulus of elasticity between 1600 and 2000 MPa.

2. The support ring according to claim 1, characterized in that the hook-shaped part is designed so as to be able to be clamped on transverse wires having at least two different diameters, for example, on transverse wires having a usual diameter of 4 mm and on transverse wires having a usual diameter of 5.2 mm.

3. The support ring according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the hook-shaped portion is formed by a substantially U-shaped rounded curved portion with two legs of which at least one leg is a narrow S-shaped curved leg which, together with the other leg, forms a constriction to form a constricted opening with which the hook-shaped portion can be clamped onto a suitable cross wire, the width of the constriction being narrower than the diameter of the thinnest cross wire onto which the support ring is intended to be clamped.

4. The support ring according to claim 3, characterized in that the other leg is a straight leg which connects to the base of the rounded U-shaped curved part with a thickening via a bend in the inner wall with a radius of curvature R approximately corresponding to that of a transverse wire with the largest diameter on which the support ring is intended to be clamped.

5. The support ring according to claim 4, characterized in that in a direction perpendicular to the narrowing of the hook-shaped portion, the narrowing is at a distance from said thickening on the basis of the U-shaped curved portion approximately equal to the diameter of the thickest transverse wire for which the support ring is intended, while the shortest distance between the bend and the S-shaped leg is less than the smallest diameter.

6. The support ring according to one of the preceding claims 1-5, characterized in that for transverse wires having a usual diameter of 4 mm, respectively 5.2 mm, the width of the narrowing is between 2.4 and 2.8 mm, preferably approximately 2.6 mm.

7. The support ring according to one of the preceding claims 1-6, characterized in that the support part is formed by a gutter-shaped seat for supporting a lower end of a blade or a part thereof, wherein this seat is delimited by two walls, respectively a first wall and a second wall, the first wall being formed by an elastic resilient lip with a curved portion towards the second wall for holding a relevant end of a blade or a part thereof which is inserted into the gutter-shaped seat.

8. The support ring according to claim 7, characterized in that the curved portion of the elastic resilient lip extends obliquely across the center line of the gutter-shaped seat, preferably towards or beyond the geometric plane of the outer face of the second wall of the seat.

9. The support ring according to claim 7 or 8 and 4, characterized in that the second wall of the gutter-shaped seat is formed by said straight leg of the rounded U-shaped curved part of the hook-shaped part of the support ring.

10. The support ring according to one of the preceding claims 7 to 9, characterized in that the resilient lip has a straight portion parallel to the second wall and a curved portion in the extension of the straight portion, in which the ratio of the height of the resilient lip and the width of the support ring is less than 1.

11. The support ring according to one of the preceding claims 7 to 10, characterized in that the height of the resilient lip is at least 1.5 times and at most 2 times the height of the hook-shaped part.

12. The support ring according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that it is intended to clamp a hollow blade with two opposite sides, wherein the gutter-shaped seat of the support ring is intended to support and clamp one of the two walls at the end of the blade.

13. The support ring according to claim 12, characterized in that the width of the gutter-shaped seat is slightly greater than the thickness of the wall of the blade to be clamped, preferably twice.

14. A construction kit for assembling a garden mesh panel comprising a wire mesh formed by connected longitudinal wires and transverse wires; blades which can be inserted longitudinally between the longitudinal wires in the wire mesh to form a panel, one or more transverse profiles which can be inserted into the wire mesh through the blades to press the blades against the transverse wires; and one or more support rings according to one of the preceding claims.