Fence Panel With Wrap Tabs For Gap Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional fences have gaps between pickets that compromise privacy, security, and protection from wind and precipitation, as they allow visibility and passage of small animals or children, and provide inadequate barrier against external elements.
Innovation Solution
A fence panel with a primary surface, a suspending system, and attachable tabs that wrap around rails and pickets to fill and secure gaps between adjacent fence components, featuring flanges and tabs that can be easily bent to fit and secure to the fence structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional fences are constructed with vertical posts and pickets spaced apart, then the fence structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the gaps between pickets compromise privacy, security, and protection from wind and precipitation
Solution Approach 1:
The fence panel is divided into multiple functional components: a primary panel surface, suspending tabs for attachment to rails, and vertical tabs for attachment to pickets. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function while maintaining overall simplicity of manufacture
Solution Approach 2:
The tabs are integrated into the panel structure itself, with suspending tabs extending from the upper portion and vertical tabs extending from the sides. This nesting eliminates the need for separate attachment hardware, maintaining ease of manufacture while providing secure attachment and gap reduction
2Object-affected harmful factors
If gaps between pickets are reduced or eliminated by adding panels, then privacy, security, and protection from wind and precipitation are improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional components
Solution Approach 1:
The suspending tabs and vertical tabs are merged into a single integrated panel structure. The tabs are formed as extensions of the panel itself, combining the panel body and attachment mechanisms into one component, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining privacy and security benefits
Solution Approach 2:
The panel serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides a privacy barrier, secures to the rail structure via suspending tabs, attaches to pickets via vertical tabs, and reduces gaps all in one component. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate privacy slats, brackets, and fasteners
3Ease of operation
If tabs are made bendable to wrap around rails and pickets, then ease of installation and adjustment is improved, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase to ensure proper fit and attachment strength
Solution Approach 1:
The tabs are designed with specific dimensional parameters that allow bending to standard rail and picket sizes. By optimizing tab length, width, and thickness during manufacturing, the panels accommodate normal variations in fence construction while maintaining attachment strength, balancing ease of installation with manageable manufacturing precision requirements
Data Source
AI summary
A fence panel configured to occupy an opening between adjacent pickets of a fence, the fence panel comprising a primary panel, a suspension panel extending substantially horizontally from an upper portion of the primary panel and above a rail of the fence, a vertical portion extending downwardly from the suspension panel behind the rail, a horizontal tab configured to wrap about the rail, at least one flange extending from the primary panel and at least one vertical tab extending from the at least one flange and configured to wrap about a picket.