wall

Abstract

To provide a fence capable of cancelling a gap between upper and lower fence panels and allowing engagement of a lower horizontal material with an upper horizontal material via a spacer, in a free column type fence by using fence panels stacked in two stages or more, even when using the same member for the upper and lower horizontal materials.SOLUTION: In a fence 100, fence panels 50 having rectangular panel materials 10 and horizontal materials 30 mounted on upper ends and lower ends of the panel materials 10, are vertically installed continuously. The upper and lower horizontal materials 30, 30 are formed of the same member, and have protrusions 39 protruded outward on the outer faces in the vertical direction. Between the fence panels 50 vertically installed continuously, laterally extended spacers 70 are arranged, and the spacers 70 have groove parts 71 for engaging each of the protrusions 39, 39 of the upper and lower horizontal materials 30, 30 formed on upper and lower faces respectively, and a thin metallic foil 72 is arranged along the lateral direction at a center in the vertical direction of the spacers 70.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a fence that is installed along the boundary between a house, condominium, etc. and the boundary between neighboring properties. [Background technology]

[0002] Generally, for fences built along the boundaries of the grounds of houses, factories, etc., many have been proposed in which panels made of metal, wood, synthetic resin, etc. are attached to a rectangular frame to form fence panels, and then a number of these are connected together in the width direction (left and right direction) to form a fence.

[0003] The connection methods for fence panels can be roughly divided into two types: direct connection between the fence panels and connection via posts. The former is often used in so-called free-post fences, where the connected fence panels are fixed to a post installed on one side, while the latter is used in so-called fixed-post fences.

[0004] When height is required for a fence, fence panels are often stacked vertically. In this case, if the top surface of the lower fence panel fits into the bottom surface of the upper fence panel, installation is easier and misalignment of the upper and lower fence panels can be prevented even after installation.

[0005] In Patent Document 1, the applicant has proposed a fence consisting of a number of support posts set up at appropriate intervals, and a number of fence panels connected vertically between the support posts, wherein the fence panels are made of panel materials and their frame bodies, and the frame body comprises at least upper and lower cross members, the upper and lower cross members being of the same shape, and the lower cross member being the upper cross member rotated 180 degrees around its longitudinal central axis, and wherein the cross member has at least one protrusion and one recessed stripe formed along the longitudinal direction of its outer periphery to form an engaging portion that abuts and engages with the frame body of the connected panel, whereby the recessed stripe and protrusion of the upper cross member of the connected lower panel abuts and engages with the protrusion and recessed stripe of the lower cross member of the upper panel, respectively.

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2009-121176 A DISCLOSURE OF THEINVENTION [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] Considering the number of parts of the frame, it is preferable to use the same upper and lower horizontal frames, but in order to fit the upper and lower horizontal frames together, it is necessary to use a structure in which the lower horizontal member and the upper horizontal member are reversed in the longitudinal direction. In this way, the upper and lower horizontal members need to be roughly symmetrical in the front-to-back direction, and this is often possible for the above-mentioned fixed-column type fence. On the other hand, for the free-column type fence, since one side of the horizontal member needs a structure for fixing the support, it is often difficult to make the structure symmetrical in the front-to-back direction, and the upper and lower horizontal members of separate members are sometimes used. In this case, when assembling the fence panels, it is often difficult to distinguish between the upper and lower horizontal members, and it is difficult to notice that, for example, the upper fence panel is placed upside down relative to the lower fence panel, which can lead to construction errors.

[0008] The present invention aims to solve the problems described above and provide a free-column type fence in which fence panels are stacked in two or more layers, in which even if the same material is used for the upper and lower cross members, there is no gap between the upper and lower fence panels and the lower cross member can be fitted together via a spacer. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has the following configuration: That is, the fence of the present invention is a fence in which fence panels, each having a rectangular panel material and a cross member attached to the upper and lower ends of the panel material, are arranged in a vertical direction, the vertically arranged cross members are made of the same material and have a protrusion that protrudes outward on the outer surface in the vertical direction, a spacer having a length in the left-right direction is arranged between the vertically arranged fence panels, and grooves into which the protrusions of the vertically arranged cross members are fitted are formed on the upper and lower surfaces of the spacer, and A thin metal foil is disposed in the vertical direction at the vertical center of the spacer and along the left-right direction inside the spacer. It is characterized by the above.

[0010] The fence panels are connected in the left-right direction via connecting members, and the connecting members are inserted through the left and right cross members of the fence panels connected in the left-right direction, and the fence panels may be slidable in the left-right direction along the spacers. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the present invention, even if the lower cross member is made of the same material as the upper cross member, the spacer can be used to eliminate the gap between the upper and lower fence panels, and the lower cross member and the upper cross member can be fitted together via the spacer, making it easier to stack the fence panels. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing one embodiment of a fence according to the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a front view of the wall panel of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the panel material and the vertical members. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between a panel material and a cross member. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a connecting structure between vertical members and horizontal members. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the upper portion of the support pillar in (c) of FIG. [Figure 10] An explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the fence panel and the mounting member. [Figure 11] FIG. [Figure 12] An explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the wall panel and the connecting member. [Figure 13] Another explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the wall panel and the connecting member. [Figure 14] An explanatory diagram showing the connection state of wall panels. [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the cap in FIG. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram of the cap in FIG. 15. [Figure 17] 15. An enlarged cross-sectional view of the line DD in FIG. [Figure 18] FIG. 16 is an enlarged end view taken along the line EE in FIG. [Figure 19] An explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the wall panel and the cap. [Figure 20] Another explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the wall panel and the cap. [Figure 21] 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between a cap and a connecting member. FIG. [Figure 22] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the line FF in FIG. [Figure 23] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing how to install a fence. [Figure 24] FIG. 11 is another explanatory diagram showing a method of installing a fence. [Diagram 25] FIG. 11 is another explanatory diagram showing a method of installing a fence. [Figure 26] FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line GG in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Next, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing one embodiment of a fence according to the present invention, in which (a) is a plan view, (b) is a front view, and (c) is a side view. In the drawings, 10 is a panel material, 20 is a vertical member, 30 is a horizontal member, and 40 is a cap. In the fence 100 according to the present invention, a fence panel 50, in which the vertical member 20 and the horizontal member 30 are attached to the panel material 10, is connected in the left-right direction and attached to a post 60 erected on an installation surface, and a cap 40 is attached across adjacent fence panels 50. Here, the left-right direction, up-down direction, and front-back direction of the fence 100 are the same directions as the left-right direction, up-down direction, and front-back direction of Fig. 1 unless otherwise specified, and the following description will be based on this.

[0014] Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Fig. 1, and illustrates the cross-sectional state of the panel material 10. As shown in Figs. 1 and 4, the panel material 10 is formed into a substantially rectangular shape, and is a laminate in which decorative sheets 12, 12 are laminated on the front and back surfaces of a core material 11. The core material 11 is generally made of a thermoplastic synthetic resin such as polyethylene or polypropylene, and may be made of polyethylene or polypropylene alone or a mixture of these appropriately kneaded, or may be made of these appropriately kneaded with an inorganic material such as aluminum hydroxide or magnesium hydroxide.

[0015] The decorative plate 12 is generally made of a metal foil such as an aluminum alloy, stainless steel, copper, etc., and its surface may be coated with paint or a sheet or film may be attached to its surface. Also, the decorative plate 12 usually uses the same type of metal foil on both sides.

[0016] In this embodiment, the panel material 10 is a laminate as described above, but is not limited to the laminate form, and for example, a metal plate or a resin plate may also be used.

[0017] Fig. 3 is a front view of the fence panel 50 in Fig. 1, Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line BB in Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line CC in Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the panel material 10 and the vertical member 20, and Fig. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the panel material 10 and the horizontal member 30. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the vertical member 20 is attached to the left and right side ends of the panel material 10, and includes a base plate portion 21 and a vertical groove portion 22 that is located closer to the center of the fence panel 50 than the base plate portion 21 and has an insertion groove 22a into which the side end of the panel material 10 is inserted, and is formed continuously in the vertical direction.

[0018] The vertical groove portion 22 includes an insertion groove 22a, a front wall portion 22b, a rear wall portion 22c, and a bottom portion 22d connecting the front wall portion 22b and the rear wall portion 22c, and the bottom portion 22d is disposed on the base portion 21 side and opens toward the center of the fence panel 50. The opening side of the front wall portion 22b is cut out to form a notch portion 22e. Meanwhile, the opening side of the rear wall portion 22c is formed with a protrusion portion 22f that protrudes toward the front wall portion 22b.

[0019] As a result, when the panel material 10 is inserted into the vertical groove portion 22, its front surface abuts against the rear front wall portion 22b, with a gap formed between it and the cutout portion 22e, and its rear surface abuts against the protrusion 22e of the rear wall portion 22c.

[0020] As shown in Figures 3 and 5, the cross member 30 is attached to the upper and lower ends of the panel material 10, and comprises a base portion 31 and a cross groove portion 32 which is positioned closer to the center of the fence panel 50 than the base portion 31 and has an insertion groove 32a into which the upper and lower ends of the panel material 10 are inserted, and which are formed continuously along the left-right direction.

[0021] The horizontal groove portion 32 includes an insertion groove 32a, a front wall portion 32b, a rear wall portion 32c, and a bottom portion 32d connecting the front wall portion 32b and the rear wall portion 32c, and the bottom portion 32d is disposed on the base portion 31 side and opens toward the center of the fence panel 50. A protrusion 32e that protrudes toward the rear wall portion 32c is formed on the opening side of the front wall portion 32b. On the other hand, a notch portion 32f is formed by cutting out the opening side of the rear wall portion 32c.

[0022] As a result, the front surface of the panel material 10 inserted into the horizontal groove portion 32 abuts against the protrusion 32e, and its rear surface, with a gap formed between it and the cutout portion 32f, abuts against the rear wall portion 32c on the far side.

[0023] Next, the assembly procedure of the fence panel 50 will be described. As shown in Fig. 4, in the vertical groove portion 22 of the vertical member 20, the distance K1 between the protrusion 22f and the wall surface of the front wall portion 22b on the bottom portion 22d side is set to be approximately the same as the thickness dimension K2 in the front-rear direction of the panel material 10. Therefore, when the left end or right end of the panel material 10 is inserted into the vertical groove portion 22 of the vertical member 20, it may come into contact with the step portion 22g of the cutout portion 22e and become unable to be inserted any further. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 6, if the opening direction of the vertical groove portion 22 is directed slightly backward with respect to the left-right direction of the panel material 10, the upper end or lower end of the panel material 10 can be inserted to the back side of the vertical groove portion 22 beyond the step portion 22g.

[0024] 5, in the horizontal groove 32 of the horizontal member 30, the distance K3 between the protrusion 32e and the wall surface of the rear wall 32c on the bottom 32d side is shorter than the thickness dimension K2 in the front-rear direction of the panel material 10. Therefore, when the upper end or lower end of the panel material 10 is inserted into the horizontal groove 32, it abuts against the step 32g of the cutout 32f and cannot be inserted any further. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7, if the opening direction of the horizontal groove 32 is oriented slightly forward with respect to the up-down direction of the panel material 10, the upper end or lower end of the panel material 10 can be inserted through the step 32g to the deepest side of the horizontal groove 32.

[0025] Next, the vertical members 20 are returned to their original positions so that the openings of the vertical grooves 22 face the left-right direction, and the horizontal members 30 are returned to their original positions so that the openings of the horizontal grooves 32 face the front-rear direction, and the vertical members 20 and the horizontal members 30 are connected. At this time, when the horizontal members 30 are returned to their original positions, a deformation force acts on the panel material 10 such that the center portion in the up-down direction is deformed backward as shown in FIG. 5. Therefore, a force acts on the vertical members 20 to return the deformation. As a result, the ends of the panel material 10 inserted into the vertical grooves 22 and the horizontal grooves 32 are pressed against the vertical grooves 22 and the horizontal grooves 32, and the panel material 10 is in a state of being tensioned overall, so that the panel material can be firmly fixed by the vertical members 20 and the horizontal members 30.

[0026] Here, if the distance K1 is shortened to approximately the same as the distance K3, taking into consideration the effect of the horizontal member 30 described above, the vertical member 20 exerts a deformation force on the panel material 10 such that the center portion in the left-right direction is deformed in a direction warping forward. This may enable the panel material 10 to be fixed more firmly to the vertical member 20 and the horizontal member 30. However, this may cause deformation forces in the opposite directions to the front and rear of the panel material 10, which may cause a large distortion in the panel material 10, resulting in deformation of the panel material 10 and deformation or damage to the vertical member 20 or the horizontal member 30.

[0027] In addition, in this embodiment, since the panel material 10 is a horizontally elongated rectangular shape that is long in the left-right direction, if the distance K1 is narrowed to the same extent as the distance K3, when the vertical member 20 is returned to its original position, a larger deformation force will be generated than when the horizontal member 30 is returned to its original position. Therefore, in this embodiment, the distance K1 is greater than the distance K3 and is set to the same extent as the distance K2. In addition, in the panel material 10 inserted into the vertical groove portion 22 of the vertical member 20, the positional relationship of the protrusion 32e and the cutout portion 32f is reversed relative to the protrusion 22f and the cutout portion 22e in order to suppress the forward warping while allowing the rearward warping. This makes it possible to suppress the generation of unnecessarily large deformation force in the panel material 10. Therefore, when the fence panel 50 is a vertically elongated shape that is long in the up-down direction, it is preferable to reverse the relationship between the distances K1 and K3 described above.

[0028] Next, the connection structure between the vertical member 20 and the horizontal member 30 will be described. Fig. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing the connection structure between the vertical member 20 and the horizontal member 30. The vertical member 20 has a front crosspiece 23a, an intermediate crosspiece 23b, and a rear crosspiece 23c that are connected from the base plate 21 to the front wall 22b, bottom 22d, and rear wall 22c of the vertical groove 22. The upper end of the vertical member 20 has only the base plate 21 with the vertical groove 22 and the crosspieces 23a, 23b, and 23c removed, and a connection surface 21a that faces the center of the fence panel 50 is formed. A similar connection surface (not shown) is also formed at the lower end of the vertical member 20, but a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0029] The side end of the horizontal member 30 is abutted against the connecting surface 21a, and the vertical member 20 and the horizontal member 30 are connected using a screw S1. Specifically, the connecting surface 21a has a through hole 21b penetrating in the left-right direction, and the horizontal member 30 has a screw hole 30a formed along the left-right direction at a position corresponding to the through hole 21b. The vertical member 20 and the horizontal member 30 are connected by screwing the screw S1 from the through hole 21b toward the screw hole 30a. FIG. 8 shows the connecting structure of the upper part of the frame formed by connecting the vertical member 20 and the horizontal member 30, but the lower part is connected in a similar structure, so a detailed description will be omitted.

[0030] Next, the mounting structure of the fence panel 50 to the support will be described. Fig. 9 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the upper part of the support 60 in Fig. 1(b), and Fig. 10 is an explanatory view showing the relationship between the fence panel 50 and the mounting member 51. As shown in Fig. 9, the horizontal member 30 has a front plate portion 33a and a middle plate portion 33b that are connected from the base plate portion 31 to the front wall portion 32b and the bottom portion 32d of the horizontal groove portion 32. In addition, the rear side of the base plate portion 31 has a first rear plate portion 33c that extends toward the center of the fence panel 50, and the rear wall portion 32c of the horizontal groove portion 32 has a second rear plate portion 33d that extends toward the first rear plate portion 33c, and a gap 34 is formed continuously in the left-right direction between the first rear plate portion 33c and the second rear plate portion 33d.

[0031] As a result, the cross member 30 has a front hollow portion 35 surrounded by the front wall portion 32b, the bottom portion 32d, the middle plate portion 33b, the base plate portion 31, and the front plate portion 33a, and a rear hollow portion 36 surrounded by the rear wall portion 32c, the bottom portion 32d, the middle plate portion 33b, the base plate portion 31, the first rear plate portion 33c, and the second rear plate portion 33d, each of which is formed continuously along the longitudinal direction of the cross member 30. The rear hollow portion 36 communicates with the outside of the cross member 30 through a gap 34.

[0032] An attachment member 51 that is wider than the vertical dimension of the gap 34 is disposed within the rear hollow portion 36. The attachment member 51 is a horizontally long plate-like member having a screw hole 51a that penetrates in the front-rear direction, and the screw tip of a bolt B1 that penetrates the support 60 in the front-rear direction is screwed into the screw hole 51a and further tightened, so that the first rear plate portion 33c and the second rear plate portion 33d are sandwiched between the rear surface of the attachment member 51 and the front surface of the support 60. As a result, the horizontal member 30 is fixed to the support 60, and the fence panel 50 is attached to the support 60.

[0033] Next, an example of a specific mounting method will be described. As shown in Fig. 10, the mounting member 51 is inserted from the rear insertion hole 24 formed at the upper and lower ends of the vertical member 20 in the left-right direction and leading to the rear hollow portion 36 of the horizontal member 30. As shown in Fig. 9, the horizontal member 30 has a guide portion 37 for guiding the mounting member 51 to the vicinity of the gap 34, and the mounting member 51 inserted from the rear insertion hole 24 is moved along the guide portion 37 to a predetermined position within the rear hollow portion 36. After that, the bolt B1 is passed through the rear side of the support 60 in the front-rear direction and screwed into the screw hole 51a of the mounting member 51 for additional tightening. Note that Figs. 9 and 10 are explanations of the upper side of the fence panel 50, but the lower side of the fence panel 50 is similar, so detailed explanations will be omitted.

[0034] Next, the connection structure between the fence panels 50 will be described. Figure 11 is an explanatory diagram of the connecting member 52, where (a) is a plan view, (b) is a front view, and (c) is a left side view. The connecting member 52 connects the fence panels 50 together, and has a vertical plate portion 53 and a horizontal plate portion 54. The vertical plate portion 53 has a screw hole 52a that penetrates in the front-rear direction.

[0035] 9, the connecting member 52 is disposed in the front hollow portion 35 of the cross member 30. The middle plate portion 33b of the cross member 30 has a through hole (not shown) penetrating in the front-rear direction, and the threaded tip portion of the bolt B2 inserted into the through hole from the rear of the cross member 30 through the gap 34 and the rear hollow portion 36 is screwed into the threaded hole 52a and further tightened, thereby fixing the connecting member 52 to the cross member 30.

[0036] 11, the connecting member 52 has two screw holes 52a, 52a formed at a distance on the left and right of the vertical plate portion 53, with one left-right end fixed to the horizontal member 30 of one fence panel 50 and the other left-right end fixed to the horizontal member 30 of the other fence panel 50. In this way, the fence panels 50 are connected to each other.

[0037] An example of a method for connecting fence panels 50 to each other will be described. Figures 12 and 13 are explanatory diagrams showing the relationship between the fence panel 50 and the connecting member 52, and Figure 14 is an explanatory diagram showing the connection state of the fence panels 50, 50 to each other. First, as shown in Figure 9, the front hollow portion 35 has a guide portion 38 for inserting the vertical plate portion 53 of the connecting member 52 along the middle plate portion 33b of the horizontal member 30. As shown in Figure 12, the vertical member 20 has a front insertion hole 28 that communicates with the front hollow portion 35 of the horizontal member 30 and through which the connecting member 52 can be inserted. When the connecting member 52 is inserted into the front insertion hole 28, the connecting member 52 advances to the back along the guide portion 38 of the front hollow portion 35.

[0038] As shown in Fig. 13, the connecting member 52 is inserted by about half its length in the left-right direction. Then, as shown in Fig. 9, the bolt B2 is screwed into the screw hole 52a of the connecting member 52 from the through hole (not shown) of the middle plate portion 33b and further tightened. As a result, the connecting member 52 is fixed to one of the fence panels 50, and about half of the left-right length of the connecting member 52 protrudes outward in the left-right direction from the fence panel 50.

[0039] Next, the new fence panel 50 is fixed to the connecting member 52 protruding from the fence panel 50 by the same operation as described above. As a result, the fence panels 50, 50 are connected to each other as shown in Figure 14.

[0040] 9 and 12 to 14 explain the upper side of the fence panel 50, but the lower side of the fence panel 50 is similar, so a detailed explanation will be omitted.

[0041] Next, the mounting structure of the cap 40 to the fence panel 50 will be described. Fig. 15 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the cap 40 in Fig. 1(b), and Fig. 16 is an explanatory view of the cap 40 in Fig. 15, where (a) is a plan view, (b) is a front view, and (c) is a side view. At the joint between the fence panels 50, the cap 40 is mounted between the vertical member 20 of one fence panel 50 and the vertical member 20 of the other fence panel 50 that faces the vertical member 20. The cap 40 has a lid portion 41 that covers the upper end faces 20a of the facing vertical members 20, and a leg portion 42 formed downward from the underside of the lid portion 41.

[0042] As a result, as shown in Fig. 14, the upper end surface 20a of the vertical member 20 is covered by the lid portion 41 and cannot be seen from the outside. In this embodiment, the vertical member 20 is made by cutting an aluminum alloy shaped member to an appropriate length, and the cut surface is exposed at the upper end surface 20a, which is often different in color and gloss from the surface of the vertical member 20. Therefore, the cut surface, that is, the upper end surface 20a, is covered by the lid portion 41 to make it invisible from the outside. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 16, the front and rear end portions of the lid portion 41 are formed with protrusions 41a, 41a facing downward, and as a result, in addition to the upper end surface 20a, the front and rear edges of the upper end surface 20a can be covered at the upper end of the vertical member 20.

[0043] Fig. 17 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of line DD in Fig. 15. The vertical member 20 has a recess 25 formed on the outer side in the left-right direction, which is continuous in the up-down direction at the middle part in the front-rear direction and faces the center of the fence panel 50. In this embodiment, ribs 26, 26 are formed at the front end and rear end of the outer side of the vertical member 20, and the recess 25 is formed between the front and rear ribs 26, 26. In adjacent fence panels 50, the outer sides of the vertical members 20 face each other, so that the recesses 25 face each other and the ribs 26 face each other. The recesses 25 and the ribs 26 form a space 27 in the up-down direction. The legs 42 of the cap 40 are arranged in this space 27.

[0044] The leg part 42 is arranged in the space part 27, and the opposing ribs 26, 26 are in contact with each other or have almost no gap therebetween, so that the leg part 42 is not visible from the outside, and the part of the cap 40 that is visible from the outside can be only the lid part 41.

[0045] Fig. 18 is an enlarged end view of line EE in Fig. 15. The legs 42 of the cap 40 are engaged with a protrusion T that protrudes outward from the outer side surface of the vertical member 20 in the left-right direction. The protrusion T passes through the space 27 in the left-right direction and protrudes from the outer side surface of one vertical member 20 toward the other vertical member 20. This makes it difficult for the cap 40 to come off from the fence panel 50 even if it is not fixed to the fence panel 50 with a fastener such as a screw. In this embodiment, the protrusion T also serves as a connecting member 52 that connects the fence panels 50 together. This eliminates the need to prepare a separate member for engaging the cap 40, and allows the number of members to be reduced.

[0046] Next, the relationship between the fence panel 50 and the cap 40 will be described. Figures 19 and 20 are explanatory diagrams showing the relationship between the fence panel 50 and the cap 40, and Figure 21 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the cap 40 and the connecting member 52. As shown in Figure 19, at the connection point between the fence panels 50, a space 27 is formed by the opposing vertical members 20. The legs 42 of the cap 40 are inserted into this space 27 from above, and the cap 40 is fixed to the connection point between the fence panels 50, as shown in Figure 20. This makes it possible to cover the upper end surface 20a of the vertical member 20.

[0047] Fig. 21 shows the relationship between the leg 42 of the cap 40 inserted into the space 27 and the connecting member 52 (protrusion T) that engages the leg 42. Although the connecting member 52 does not appear when viewed from the front in Figs. 19 and 20, the connecting member 52 penetrates in the left-right direction in the space 27 and is fixed to the left and right fence panels 50 as shown in Figs. 13 and 17.

[0048] First, the leg 42 of the cap 40 is brought close from above to the connecting member 52 (projection T) located in the space 27. The leg 42 has a front leg 43 disposed forward of the vertical plate 53 of the connecting member 52, and a rear leg 44 disposed rearward of the horizontal plate 54. The front leg 43 has a locking portion 43a that is locked to the lower end surface of the vertical plate 53. The rear leg 44 has a locking portion 44a that is locked to the lower end surface of the horizontal plate 54. The cap 40 is made of synthetic resin and is elastically deformable, so that the leg 42 is inserted into the space 27, and the tip sides of the front leg 43 and the rear leg 44 can be deformed so as to be warped outward so that the locking portion 43a abuts against the front side of the vertical plate 53 and the locking portion 44a abuts against the rear side of the horizontal plate 54. Specifically, one of the locking portions 43a, 44a is abutted against the vertical plate portion 53 or the horizontal plate portion 54, and the cap 40 is tilted forward or backward, so that the remaining locking portion 44a, 43a is abutted against the horizontal plate portion 54 or the vertical plate portion 53.

[0049] 21, when the leg 42 is moved downward (the leg 42 is inserted downward into the space 27), as shown in Fig. 18, the locking portion 43a is locked to the lower end surface of the vertical plate portion 53, and the locking portion 44a is locked to the lower end surface of the horizontal plate portion 54. As a result, the cap 40 is restricted from moving in the up-down and front-rear directions relative to the connecting member 52 (protruding portion T), so that even if one tries to pull the cap 40 upward, it cannot be easily pulled out.

[0050] In addition, since the caps 40 can be attached after the fence panels 50 have been connected to each other, even if a cap 40 is forgotten to be attached in some places, it does not affect the work of connecting the fence panels 50 to each other, and if there are any places where the caps 40 have not been attached, they can be attached later, resulting in excellent workability.

[0051] Furthermore, since the legs 42 of the cap 40 are engaged with the connecting member 52, it is not easy to pull out the cap 40. Moreover, since the legs 42 are arranged within the space 27 and are configured so that they are almost invisible from the outside due to the front and rear ribs 26 of the vertical member 20, it is difficult to remove the overcap by loosening the fitting state using a tool or the like, as is the case with a typical overcap.

[0052] In addition, when the fence panels 50 are arranged vertically in multiple tiers as in this embodiment, the cap only needs to be attached to the upper part of the connecting portion of the uppermost fence panel 50.

[0053] Next, the stacking structure of the upper and lower fence panels when the fence panels are arranged in multiple layers vertically as in this embodiment will be described. Figure 22 is an explanatory diagram of the FF line in Figure 1, where (a) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the FF line, and (b) is an explanatory diagram of (a).

[0054] The horizontal member 30 in this embodiment can be used upside down, so the same material is used for the upper and lower horizontal members 30 of the fence panel 50. However, since the horizontal member 30 has an asymmetric shape in the front-to-back direction, it cannot be used upside down. Therefore, when stacking another fence panel 50 on top of a fence panel 50, the horizontal members 30 are stacked on top of each other, but it is difficult to create a fitting structure in which a protrusion is formed on one horizontal member 30 and a recess that can be fitted into the other horizontal member 30 is formed.

[0055] In this embodiment, the horizontal member 30 has a protrusion 39 formed in the center in the front-rear direction on the outer surface in the vertical direction, and the protrusion 39 is formed continuously in the left-right direction. In other words, when the fence panels 50 are stacked in the vertical direction, the protrusions 39 of the upper and lower horizontal members 30 are arranged opposite each other at the stacked portion.

[0056] In this embodiment, a spacer 70 that fits into the upper and lower protrusions 39 is disposed between the upper and lower fence panels 50. The spacer 70 has grooves 71 into which the protrusions 39 fit at the center in the front-to-rear direction of the upper and lower surfaces, and the grooves 71 are formed continuously along the left-to-right direction.

[0057] As a result, when stacking the fence panels 50, the lower fence panel 50 is placed, the spacer 70 is placed on the cross member 30, and the upper fence panel is then placed on top of that, so that the upper and lower fence panels 50 are fitted together via the spacer 70, making it less likely that misalignment will occur in the fore-and-aft direction.

[0058] The spacer 70 is made of synthetic resin, and thin metal foils 72 are arranged vertically in the center, vertically, and horizontally, and are bonded to the surrounding synthetic resin. As a result, when a fence panel is placed on the spacer 70, the weight of the upper fence panel 50 presses the spacer 70, and the spacer 70 and the lower fence panel 50 are also pressed together, but this prevents the spacer 70 from becoming significantly deformed or breaking. In addition, the resin of the spacer 70 may undergo greater dimensional changes due to expansion and contraction than the cross member 30 due to changes in temperature, but the metal foils 72 can prevent this dimensional change from occurring.

[0059] Next, an example of a method for installing a fence in which fence panels are stacked vertically will be described. Figures 23 to 25 are explanatory diagrams showing a method for installing a fence 100. The arrows in the drawings indicate the direction in which each member moves. First, as shown in Figure 23(a), posts 60 are erected at an appropriate interval at the installation location. Next, a fence panel 50 is attached to the posts 60, and a connecting member 52 is fixed to the left side of the fence panel 50. Next, as shown in Figure 23(b), a fence panel 50 is placed on the left side of the connecting member 52, and is connected to the fence panel 50 on the right side via the connecting member 52 and fixed to the support 60.

[0060] Next, as shown in Figure 24(a), a spacer 70 is placed on top of the right-side fence panel 50, and then a new fence panel 50 is placed on top of that and fixed to the support post 60. Next, as shown in Figure 24(b), a connecting member 52 is fixed to the left side of the upper fence panel 50.

[0061] Next, a spacer 70 is placed on the lower left wall panel 50, and as shown in FIG. 25, a new wall panel 50 is placed on the spacer 70 with a gap between it and the upper right wall panel 50 in the left-right direction. After that, the upper left wall panel 50 is moved to the right along the spacer 70 and fixed to the connecting member 52. At this time, since it is not necessary to match the height position of the connecting member 52 and the height position of the upper left wall panel 50 in the upper right wall panel 50, the work of connecting the wall panels 50 to each other is easily performed. Then, the upper left wall panel 50 is fixed to the support 60. Furthermore, the cap 40 is attached between the upper left and upper right wall panels 50. As a result, the wall 100 can be installed by arranging the wall panels 50 in the up-down and left-right directions as shown in FIG. 1(a).

[0062] As shown in FIG. 9, the gap 34 of the horizontal member 30 is formed continuously in the left-right direction on the support side of the fence panel, and the bolt B1 is arranged in the front-rear direction only at the attachment point with the support 60. FIG. 26 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the line GG in FIG. 1. In this embodiment, a cover material 80 is attached to the gap 34, and the gap 34 can be blocked. The length of the cover material 80 may be set to the left-right length of the horizontal member, but since the position of the bolt B1 for attachment with the support 60 needs to be avoided, for example, a cover material 80 whose length is adjusted according to the length of the right and left sides of the bolt B1 may be attached. As a result, the gap is hidden by the cover material 80, so that it is difficult to distinguish the front and back of the fence panel 50 from the outside, resulting in excellent design.

[0063] Also, as shown in Figure 1, the position of the support 60 (bolt B1) is usually placed on one end side of the fence panel 50, so the cover material 80 does not need to be attached from the bolt B1 to one end side of the fence panel 50, and the cover material 80 may be attached only from the bolt B1 to the other end side of the fence panel 50.

[0064] In this embodiment, the cover material 80 has a pair of engaging portions 81, 82 that engage with the first rear plate portion 33c and the second rear plate portion 33d of the cross member 30, respectively, and the respective engaging portions 81, 82 are engaged with the first rear plate portion 33c and the second rear plate portion 33d, thereby fixing the cover material 80 to the cross member 30 and closing the gap 34. The first rear plate portion 33c and the second rear plate portion 33d have their outer surfaces cut inward at the ends on the gap 34 side to form notches 33e, 33f, respectively, and the upper and lower ends of the cover material 80 are disposed in the notches 33e, 33f, so that the cover material 80 does not protrude from the cross member 30 and can be made flush. The cover material 80 may be attached by inserting it from the rear side of the gap 34 and engaging it, or by engaging one end of the cover material 80 with the side end of the cross member 30 and sliding it. [Industrial Applicability]

[0065] According to the present invention, even if the lower cross member is made of the same material as the upper cross member, the spacer can eliminate the gap between the upper and lower fence panels, and the lower cross member and the upper cross member can be fitted together via the spacer, making it easier to stack the fence panels, and therefore the present invention can be suitably applied to fences made up of multiple fence panels stacked vertically. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] 10 Panel material 11 Core material 12 Decorative Panel 20 Vertical members 20a Upper end surface 21 Circuit Board 21a Connecting surface 22 Vertical groove 22a Insertion groove 22b Front wall 22c Rear wall 22d bottom 22e Cutout 22f protrusion 22g stepped section 23a front pier 23b Intermediate rail 23c rear pier 24 Rear insertion hole 25 Recess 26 Ribs 27 Space section 28 Front insertion hole 30 Crosspiece 30a screw hole 31 Circuit Board Section 32 Horizontal Groove 32a Insertion groove 32b Front wall 32c rear wall 32d bottom 32e Protrusion 32f Cutout 32g stepped section 33a Front plate part 33b Middle plate 33c First rear plate 33d Second rear plate 33e, 33f Cutout 34 Gap 35 Front hollow part 36 Rear hollow part 37 Guide section 38 Guide section 39 Protrusion 40 Cap 41 Lid 41a Protrusion 42 Legs 43 Front leg 43a Locking part 44 Hind leg 44a Locking part 50 Fence Panel 51 Mounting material 51a Screw hole 52 Connecting member 52a Screw hole 53 Vertical plate section 54 Horizontal plate part 60 pillars 70 Spacer 71 Groove 72 Metal foil 80 Cover material 81, 82 Engagement portion B1, B2 bolts S1 Screw T salient 100 fences

Claims

1. A rectangular panel material; A fence in which fence panels having horizontal members attached to the upper and lower ends of the panel members are connected in the vertical direction, The horizontal members arranged vertically are made of the same material, The outer surface in the vertical direction has a protrusion that protrudes outward, A spacer having a length in the left-right direction is disposed between the wall panels arranged in a vertical direction, The spacer has grooves on the upper and lower surfaces into which the protrusions of the cross members arranged above and below are fitted, A thin metal foil is disposed in the vertical center of the spacer and in the horizontal direction inside the spacer. A fence characterized by the above.

2. The fence panels are connected in the left-right direction via connecting members, The connecting members are inserted through the left and right cross members of the fence panels connected in the left-right direction, The wall panel is slidable in the left and right direction along the spacer. A fence as claimed in claim 1.

Images