Fence Rail Assembly with Concealed Sliding Picket Connection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional fencing and railing systems are limited in their ability to adapt to steeply changing terrain due to restricted pivotal and sliding motion between pickets and rails, often requiring time-consuming installation with limited rotational freedom and horizontal movement.
Innovation Solution
A fencing/railing assembly featuring slidably mounted and pivotally connected pickets and rails with concealed connector strips that allow for greater angular orientation, utilizing elongated connector strips or shorter connectors with bosses that engage picket holes, enabling sliding and pivotal motion without fasteners, and can be pre-assembled for efficient installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional fencing systems use fixed or limited-motion connectors, then installation is simpler and structure is more stable, but the system cannot adapt to steeply changing terrain and has restricted pivotal motion
Solution Approach 1:
The connector strip enables dynamic adjustment by allowing the pickets to pivot and slide relative to the rails. The connector strip can rotate within the rail opening, permitting the pickets to change angle from approximately 0 to 45 degrees relative to the rail, providing adaptability to varying terrain conditions while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector strip is divided into multiple segments or sections that can independently pivot and slide. Each section connects to adjacent pickets through separate pivot points, allowing independent motion at each connection point. This segmentation enables the system to accommodate terrain changes without requiring complex overall restructuring.
2Ease of operation
If conventional systems use visible fasteners and rigid connections, then manufacturing is simpler and assembly is more straightforward, but the system lacks rotational freedom and horizontal movement capability
Solution Approach 1:
The traditional fasteners (screws, bolts, or other visible connection elements) are extracted from the system. Instead, the connector strip uses a fastener-less design where the pickets are connected to the rail through pivot points and sliding mechanisms integrated into the connector strip itself, eliminating the need for separate fastening components.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector strip serves as an intermediary element between the pickets and the rail. It provides the necessary rotational and sliding functions through its own internal geometry and pivot points, mediating the connection without requiring direct fastening of the pickets to the rail. This intermediary approach enables complex motion while simplifying the overall assembly process.
3Ease of manufacture
If the connector strip is visible and exposed, then assembly is easier to perform in the field, but the aesthetic quality is reduced and the connection mechanism is more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The connector strip is nested within the rail structure. The rail has an opening that accommodates the connector strip, and the connector strip is positioned inside the rail's profile, with only the necessary pivot points and connection elements exposed. This nesting conceals the connection mechanism while maintaining assembly ease, as the connector strip can still be inserted and adjusted through the rail opening.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the system allows greater pivotal motion and sliding, then adaptability to terrain is improved, but the connection mechanism becomes more complex and requires more precision
Solution Approach 1:
The connector strip is designed with specific geometric parameters that enable a range of motion from approximately 0 to 45 degrees relative to the rail. The pivot points and sliding surfaces are dimensioned to accommodate this parameter change, allowing the pickets to adjust their angle while maintaining connection. This parameter-based design provides adaptability without requiring excessive precision, as the geometric constraints naturally limit the motion range.
Data Source
AI summary
A fencing/railing assembly adapted to be positioned between a pair of posts and mounted thereto includes a plurality of pickets, a plurality of rails extending transverse to the pickets, and one or more pivoting, sliding connectors for connecting a picket to a rail, with the sliding, pivotal connection concealed by the rail. The connector is slidably mounted to the rail and is pivotally connected to the picket. In one embodiment, an elongated connector strip is concealed by the rail and spans multiple pickets. In another embodiment, the assembly includes a plurality of shorter connectors, one for each picket/rail connection.