Modular Fence Panel Assembly with Tool-Free Toggle Clamps
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing chain link fencing systems require specialized tools and labor for installation, are not privacy-friendly, and can cause damage to concrete or asphalt surfaces when installed temporarily.
Innovation Solution
A modular fence system that can be assembled into a freestanding enclosure without tools, using fence panels with frames and slats, support units with frame interfaces and supports, and toggle clamps for secure assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If chain link fencing systems are installed using traditional methods, then access control and security are provided, but specialized tools and labor are required for installation
Solution Approach 1:
The fence system is divided into modular panels with standardized components (posts, panels, gates, caprails) that can be independently manufactured and assembled. Each panel is a self-contained unit with pre-drilled holes and attachment points, eliminating the need for on-site cutting, drilling, or specialized installation tools.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces standardized connection elements and attachment mechanisms as intermediaries between fence components. These pre-engineered connectors serve as mediators that simplify the joining process, replacing complex installation procedures with simple snap-fit or screw-based assemblies that require minimal tools and skill.
2Reliability
If chain link fencing systems are installed on concrete or asphalt surfaces, then temporary access control is provided, but cracks and damage occur to the surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the harmful drilling and anchoring operations from the installation process by using surface-mounted post bases that distribute weight over a larger area. The system extracts the need for penetrating concrete or asphalt, instead using surface-level attachment methods that prevent cracking and damage to underlying surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the installation parameters from point-loading (drilled anchors) to distributed loading (surface-mounted bases with wider footprint). This parameter change in load distribution prevents stress concentration that causes cracking in concrete and asphalt, allowing temporary installation without surface damage.
3Ease of operation
If individual slats are woven through chain link fencing to provide privacy, then aesthetic purposes and privacy are achieved, but costs increase and maintenance requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the privacy function directly into the fence panel structure itself rather than adding separate slats. The panels incorporate solid or semi-solid infill materials as an integrated component, combining the structural frame with the privacy barrier in a single manufactured unit. This eliminates the need for separate slat installation and reduces both material and labor costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The fence panels are designed with multi-functionality, serving both structural support and privacy barrier functions simultaneously. The same panel components provide both security (through the frame structure) and privacy (through the infill material), eliminating the need for additional privacy-enhancing elements and reducing overall system complexity and cost.
4Ease of operation
If plastic or canvas sheeting is used to cover chain link fencing for privacy and aesthetics, then some degree of privacy is provided, but installation is labor intensive and maintenance costs increase due to detachment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive, labor-intensive sheeting systems with affordable, integrated panel components that are designed for easy installation and removal. The modular panels serve as disposable or reusable units that eliminate the need for separate sheeting materials and their associated attachment hardware, simplifying both installation and maintenance while providing equivalent or superior privacy performance.
Data Source
AI summary
A modular fence system is disposable into a freestanding enclosure on a supporting surface without the use of any tools and includes a fence panel assembly having a plurality of fence panels each having a frame with a plurality of fence slats mounted therein. A plurality of fence support units each have a frame interface and a frame support. Each frame interface is disposable between adjacent fence panels and each frame support is positionable into a freestanding relation with the supporting surface. A plurality of toggle clamps are disposable between a disengaged configuration for positioning around portions of adjacent fence panels and/or interfaces disposed thereinbetween, and a releasably secure engaged configuration to maintain the frames of adjacent ones of the plurality of fence panels and the frame interface operably disposed thereinbetween in an interconnected freestanding configuration.