Patent ID: 9334670
Filing Date: 2016-05-10
CPC Classification: E04H

Claim Text:
1. A retractable fence system comprising: a plurality of hollow ground tubes adapted for mounting substantially vertically into ground, each ground tube of said plurality of hollow ground tubes containing a resiliently upwardly biased substantially hollow post, said post being upwardly biased within said ground tube by means of a resilient actuator journalled in each said ground tube and in contact with a lower end of the post for applying an upwardly biased force thereon, said post adapted for sliding vertically telescopic translation relative to said ground tube between a fully upwardly extended position and a fully lowered retracted position, each said post containing a retractable non-resilient flexible fence panel selectively retractably mounted within said post on a retractable means rotatably positioned within said post and affixed to a base end of said fence panel, said fence panel, when said post is in said extended position, selectively extendable from and retractable into said post between a laterally retracted position substantially fully contained within said post, and a laterally extended position extended laterally of said post, wherein each said post includes a vertical slot in a sidewall thereof and wherein said fence panel extends and retracts through said slot, and wherein each said fence panel has opposite base and leading ends, said base end mounted within said post, said leading end located in said slot when said fence panel is in its said laterally retracted position, a substantially rigid latching member mounted to said leading end of said fence panel, said latching member adapted to releasably mount to a next adjacent post corresponding to a next adjacent ground tube spaced apart in said plurality of hollow ground tubes, a collar rigidly mounted at an upper end of each said ground tube in sliding relation with said post, said collar substantially covering said upper end of said ground tube when said post is positioned in said collar, a post latching system comprising one or more biased latching means formed between said post and said tube for selectively latching each said post in both of said fully extended and fully retracted positions in said tube, a fence panel latching system formed at an upper end of said post and in cooperation with said retractable means of the fence panel for latching each said fence panel in said fully laterally extended position so as to inhibit deforming by lifting or lowering of said fence panel when extended by inhibiting further lateral extension of said fence panel from said post beyond the amount of lateral extension of said fence panel required to attain said fully laterally extended position, wherein said amount of lateral extension is dictated by a spacing distance between said post and said next adjacent post.