PANEL SYSTEM

Abstract: A panel system for use primarily as a fencing system comprises plastics material posts (4) and plastics material pan­ els assembled from side members (2), intermediate members (3), if necessary, and a plurality of sub-panels (1) framed by the side members (2).

Description: This invention relates to a panel system, and particularly but not exclusively to a panel system for use as a fencing system. It will be appreciated, however, that the system of the invention is suitable for providing structures other than fencing, for example partitioning, or sheds or similar structures. The invention will be described below primarily in relation to a fencing system. Conventional fencing systems comprise a plurality of posts arranged at spaced intervals in the ground, the space between each pair of adjacent posts being bridged by a panel secured to the posts. The posts can be of wood or concrete, as can the panels. It is also known for concrete panels to be made up from a plurality of sub-panels of manageable size when a single piece panel would be too large and/or heavy to handle. Wooden panels are generally in one piece and are often of such a size that transportation and handling are difficult and expensive. Further, wooden panels and posts require regular treatment in order to prevent decay, and are generally expensive to purchase. Concrete panels and posts are heavy and thus difficult and expensive to handle, even when in sub-panel form, and are also expensive to purchase. A fencing system is described in French Patent no 2338368. The fence system described therein comprises posts which have lengthwise grooves down their sides into which fit the side edges of super imposed panels. According to this invention there is provided a panel system comprising a plurality of posts and at least one panel for securing between a pair of adjacent posts, in which each post is formed from plastics material and has a channel in at least one edge to receive an edge portion of a panel, and each panel is formed from plastics material and comprises a plurality of sub-panels, characterised in that the panel system further comprises a frame formed from a plurality of side members of similar cross-section secured together at corners of the frame, the sub-panels being secured within the frame, and in that each panel frame side member is formed with a channel open to one edge of the member to receive edge portions of sub-panels making up a panel. The invention provides a panel system which is cheap and simple to manufacture, easy to erect, light in weight and the components of which can be of such sizes as to be easily transportable. The system comprises relatively few different components, and such components can be formed from plastics material by extrusion or injection moulding. When in the form of a fencing system the sub-panels can be formed to simulate wooden panels, for example panels of the well known lapped form. When in the form of, for example, a shed, certain of the sub-panels can be formed of transparent of translucent material to provide windows. This invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a composite fence panel mounted between a pair of posts assembled from a system according to the invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of a sub-panel of the panel of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a perspective view of a corner of the frame of the panel of Figure 1, with part broken away to show the manner in which the side members of the frame are secured together; Figure 4 is an end view of a side member of Figure 3; Figure 5 is a perspective view of a joint member used in the corner of Figure 3; Figure 6 is a perspective view of a joint between a side member and an intermediate frame member as used in the panel of Figure 1, with part broken away to show the manner in which the members are secured together; Figure 7 is an end view of an intermediate member of Figure 6; Figure 8 is a perspective view of a joint member used in the joint of Figure 6; Figure 9 is a perspective view of an end portion of a post used in the assembly of Figure 1; Figure 10 is an end view of the post of Figure 9; Figure 11 is a perspective view, with part broken away, of a cap for the post of Figure 9; and Figure 12 is a perspective view of an alternative form of panel frame corner joint member. Figure 1 shows a composite fence panel assembled from fifteen sub-panels 1 mounted between four panel frame side members 2, the sub-panels 1 being arranged in three colums each of five sub-panels 1, with the colums being separated by panel frame intermediate members 3. The composite panel is mounted between a pair of posts 4, each having a cap 5, the posts being mounted in the ground 100. As shown in Figure 1, the sub-panels 1 can be formed to simulate overlapping wooden panels, as shown for the lower sub-panels in each column, as trellis panels, as shown at the top of the left hand and centre columns, or as a plain panel, as shown at the top of the right hand column. It will be appreciated that Figure 1 shows a composite panel in order to show some of the various possible sub-panels, and that for use a panel could be assembled from any desired combination of sub-panels. All of the components of the assembly of Figure 1 are formed of plastics material, and it will be appreciated that in the disassembled state all of the components of the assembly are of such a size as to be easily transportable. Referring now to Figure 2, this shows a typical sub-panel 1 for use in the assembly of Figure 1. The sub-panel 1 is injection moulded from plastics material to simulate three overlapping wooden pieces. The sub-panel 1 is substantially planar and rectangular in shape, and has a pair of opposed edge portions in the form of flanges 6 formed with ribs 7, the flanges 6 being for receipt in channels in panel side members as will be described below. The other pair of opposed edges of the sub-panel 1 are formed with a tongue 8 and a corresponding slot 9 respectively whereby the tongue 8 of one sub-panel in a column of a panel can be received in the slot 9 of an adjacent sub-panel 1 thereby to secure the sub-panels 1 together at least against relative lateral movement. Referring now to Figure 3, this shows a corner joint between two panel frame side members 2 of the assembly of Figure 1. As shown each side member 2 is an elongate hollow section extruded plastics material member having a pair of closed sections 10 with a channel 11 open to one edge of the member 2 extending between them. The cross-section of a panel frame side member 2 is clearly shown in Figure 4. The channel 11 is sized to receive the flanges 6 of the sub-panels (see Figure 2), and as best seen in Figure 4, has an inner portion 12 of increased width to receive the ribs 7 on the flanges 6 of sub-panels 1. As shown in Figure 3, at the corner the side members 2 are joined by a joint member 13 which is shown in Figure 5. The joint member 13 is injection moulded from plastics material and has a first portion 14 for receipt in the channel 11 of a first side member 2, and a second portion 15 for receipt in the hollow section of the second side member 2 at the corner. The second portion 15 comprises two hollow projections 16 shaped for receipt in the two closed sections 10 of a side member 2 respectively. Each projection 16 is of stepped shape providing a free end portion 17 of relatively small cross-section for ease of insertion into a hollow section 10 of a side member 2, and an inner portion 18 of relatively large cross-section for gripping by the hollow section 10 of a side member 2 after insertion thereinto. As clearly shown in Figures 3 and 4, the first portion 14 of the joint member 13 is shaped to engage in the increased width portion 12 in the channel 11 in a side member 2 whereby the joint member 13 becomes secured in the channel 11 when the first portion 14 is inserted therein. Figure 6 shows a joint between a side member 2 and a panel frame intermediate member 3 of the assembly of Figure 1. The joint is similar to that shown in Figure 3, and corresponding parts and features have been given the same reference numerals as in Figure 3. The intermediate member 3 is an elongate hollow section plastics material extrusion having basically the form of a pair of panel frame side members 2 as shown in Figure 3 arranged back-to-back, whereby the intermediate member 3 provides a pair of opposed channels 11 for receipt of the flanges 6 on sub-panels 1. The cross-section of the intermediate member 3 is clearly shown in Figure 7. As shown in Figure 8, the joint of Figure 6 uses a joint member 13 similar to that of Figure 5 except that the second portion 15 thereof comprises four hollow projections 16 instead of two. Referring now to Figure 9, this shows a post 4 of the assembly of Figure 1, the post 4 being an elongate hollow section plastics material extrusion, having a cross-section as shown in Figure 10, filled with a rigid foamed plastics material core 19. As shown a pair of opposed sides of the post 4 are each formed with a longitudinally extending channel 20 for receipt of an edge portion of a panel as shown in Figure 1. The channel 20 in fact receives the side member 2 at the edge of the panel and thus the joints at the corners of the panel are concealed within and protected by the walls of the channel 20. Figure 11 shows a cap 21 for mounting on top of the post 4 of Figure 9, the cap 21 being moulded from plastics material and having four pairs of co-operating flanges 22 and 23 arranged such that one flange 22 enages the inside surface of a side wall of the post 4 while the other flange 23 engages the outside surface thereof in opposed manner wherby the side wall is gripped between the flanges 22 and 23. The inner flanges 22 are formed with tapered edges to assist in penetration of the core 19 of the post 4. Figure 12 shows an alternative form of joint member 24 for joining side members 2 at the corners of a panel. This joint member 24 is moulded from plastics material and has a rectanguloid body 25 from which project two pairs of hollow projections 26, the pairs extending at right angles relative to each other. The projections 26 are received in the hollow sections 10 at the ends of a pair of side members 2 thereby to form a corner joint. The projections 26 can if desired be shaped as are the projections 16 of the joint member 13 of Figure 3.

Claims: 1. A panel system comprising a plurality of posts (4) and at least one panel for securing between a pair of adjacent posts (4) in which each post (4) is formed from plastics material and has a channel in at least one edge to receive an edge portion of a panel, and each panel is formed from plastics material and comprises a plurality of sub-panels, characterised in that the panel system further comprises a frame formed from a plurality of side members (2) of similar cross-section secured together at corners of the frame, the sub-panels (1) being secured within the frame, and in that each panel frame side member (2) is formed with a channel (11) open to one edge of the member to receive edge portions of sub-panels (1) making up a panel. 2. A system as claimed in Claim 1, in which each post (4) is a hollow section extruded member. 3. A system as claimed in Claim 2, in which each post (4) is filled with a rigid foamed plastics material. 4. A system as claimed in any preceding claim, in which each panel frame side member (2) is a hollow section extruded member. 5. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the panel frame side members (2) are secured together at the corners of the panel by joint members (13) each having a first portion (14) for receipt in the channel (11) of a first panel frame side member (2) and a second portion (15) for receipt in the hollow section of the second panel frame side member (2) at the corner. 6. A system as claimed in Claim 5, in which the second portion (15) of each joint member (13) is of stepped shape providing a free end portion (17) of relatively small cross-section for ease of insertion into the hollow section (10) of a panel frame side member (2), and an inner portion (18) of relatively large cross section for gripping by the hollow section (10) of a panel frame side member (2). 7. A system as claimed in Claim 5 or Claim 6, in which the channel (11) in each panel frame side member (2) has an inner portion (12) of increased width, the first portion (14) of each joint member (13) being correspondingly shaped whereby the first portion (14) of a joint member (13) becomes secured in the channel (11) in a panel frame side member (2) when inserted therein. 8. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which each panel frame side member (2) comprises a pair of closed sections with the channel extending between them. 9. A system as claimed in Claim 8 as dependent upon Claim 5, in which the second portion (15) of each joint member (13) has two parts (16) for receipt in the two closed sections (10) of a panel frame side member (2) respectively. 10. A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which each sub-panel (1) has a pair of opposed edge. portions in the form of flanges (6) for receipt in the channels (11) of a pair of opposed panel frame side members (2). 11. A system as claimed in Claim 10 in which the flanges (6) of each sub-panel (1) have ribs (7) thereon providing an interference fit of the flanges (6) in the channels (11) in the panel frame side members (2). 12. A system as claimed in Claim 10 or Claim 11, in which the other pair of opposed edges of each sub-panel (1) are formed with a tongue (8) and a corresponding slot (9) respectively whereby the tongue (8) of one sub-panel (1) can be received in the slot (9) of an adjacent sub-panel (1) thereby to secure the two sub-panels (1) together. 13. A system as claimed in Claim 3, in which the panel frame side members (2) are secured together at the corners of the panel by joint members (24) having portions (26) received in the hollow section (10) of each of the two side members (2) at the corner. 14. A system as claimed in Claim 13, in which said portions of the joint members are of stepped shape providing a free end portion of relatively small cross-section for ease of insertion into the hollow section (16) of a panel frame side member (2) and an inner portion of relatively large cross-section for gripping by the hollow section of a panel frame side member. 15. A system as claimed in any preceding claim, including panel frame intermediate members (3) extending across the panel with sub-panels (1) on either side thereof. 16. A system as claimed in Claim 15, in which each panel frame intermediate member (3) has the form of a pair of panel frame side members (2) arranged back-to-back.

Inventors: SIMPSON, ALAN, GARNET, SIMPSON, IAN, ALEXANDER
Applicants: BISON HOUSEFLOOR LIMITED
Application year: 1988
Main classification: E04H17
IPC codes: E01F8, E04H17