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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the priority date of the provisional application entitled Fence Post with Covered, Molded Channel filed by Justin D. Stucker on Feb. 1, 2008, with application Ser. No. 61/025,681. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates generally to fence posts used in modular fence installations and more particularly to plastic fence posts with molded channels configured for receiving and supporting plastic pickets. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In the field of modular, plastic fences, easy, tool-free installation is preferred. However, systems allowing for easy installation tend to suffer from less-than-ideal stability, particularly at the point where a picket or rail is joined to a fence post. To combat that problem, prior systems have required installation of braces to fence posts, where the braces act to support pickets connected thereto. More recently, systems have been designed that incorporate channels within the sides of the fence post where the channels are designed to receive a portion of a picket therewithin. Such systems, however, have been overly complicated in design, limit the manner in which a picket or rail component may be connected to the fence post, and are designed in such a manner that either one fence post design cannot be used in different rail-to-rail configurations or the fence post falls short in aesthetic pleasantness when installed. 
     For example, several prior designs that incorporate channels have extensive internal workings, which limit the design and configuration of supports that may be inserted through the fence post when installed. Accordingly, these designs limit the structural support that may be added to the fence post during installation. 
     Other channel-including fence post designs allow a picket or rail to be installed into the channel of the fence post by sliding the picket or rail, as the case may be, only in a particular direction, such as vertically, from the top of the fence post toward the bottom of the fence post. This makes installation difficult in situations in which the fence is being installed underneath any kind of overhanging matter, such as when a fence is being installed beneath low-hanging branches of a tree. Further, vertically sliding pickets in place in this manner generates unwanted heat due to friction of the pickets contacting the surrounding channels. With the heat and excessive contact, the parts have a tendency to stick in place, making installation of the pickets uncomfortable and troublesome. 
     Further, prior channel-including fence post designs often sacrifice aesthetic pleasantness for the sake of uniformity. That is, fence posts are needed to support a variety of rail-to-rail (or picket-to-picket) configurations. For example, fence posts are needed both to support portions of fences in which rails and pickets on one side are in a 180 degree relation to the rails and pickets on the other side of the post and to support portions of fences in which rails and pickets on one side are in 90 degree relation to the rails and pickets on the other side of the post. Prior channel-including designs either required different configurations of fence posts depending on how the rails and pickets to be supported were to be aligned or required incorporation of channels on more sides of the fence post than may ultimately be necessary. Thus, someone installing a fence with a corner who wanted clean-looking fence post sides on the sides to which no rail or picket was to be attached would need one fence post with only two channels, each on 90-degree-related sides, and other fence posts with only two channels, each on 180-degree-related sides. Alternatively, someone installing a fence with a corner who wanted to use only one design of fence post would need to use a fence post having channels included on at least three sides such that once the fence was installed, at least one unused channel on each fence post would be visible. 
     Further, many prior channel-including fence post designs are limited in that the fence posts are not configured to be modified for connection of rails in different configurations after the post is already installed. Thus, to modify an installed fence assembly in which a channeled fence post is at a two-way rail intersection (i.e., where the fence post initially connects two rails in 90-degree relation) so that the fence post will be at a three-way rail intersection (i.e., where a third rail is added in 90-degree relation to one of the already-connected rails), either the fence post had to have included at least three channels at the time the post was first installed or a new three-channeled fence post must be installed in place of the original post. In the former case, the initially-unused channel has detracted from the aesthetic pleasantness of the fence post. In the latter case, the installer has had to incur the cost and trouble of acquiring and installing a new fence post. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the top and sides of a fence post with selectively covered, molded channels according to a first embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the top and sides of a fence post with selectively covered, molded channels according to a second embodiment. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the top and sides of a fence post with selectively covered, molded channels according to a third embodiment. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of two known rail components and a known picket component of a fence assembly. 
         FIG. 5  is a partial, perspective view of the known picket component and one known rail component of  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 6  is a top view of a fence post with selectively covered, molded channels according to the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 7  is a top view of the fence post with selectively covered, molded channels according to a fourth embodiment. 
         FIG. 8  is a partial, perspective view of a fence assembly incorporating the fence post with selectively covered, molded channels according to the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1 and 6 . 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a fence post with selectively covered, molded channels according to a fifth embodiment. 
         FIG. 10  is a partial perspective view of the top portion of a fence assembly incorporating the fence post with selectively covered, molded channels according to the embodiment shown in  FIG. 9 . 
         FIG. 11  is a top view of a fence post with selectively covered, molded channels according to a sixth embodiment. 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view of the top and sides of a fence post with selectively covered, molded channels according to a seventh embodiment. 
         FIG. 13  is a partial, perspective view of the top and sides of a fence post with selectively covered, molded channels according to the first embodiment with a lid partially in place. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     While the invention is susceptible of various modifications and alternative constructions, certain illustrated embodiments thereof have been shown in the drawings and will be described below in detail. It should be understood, however, that there is no intention to limit the invention to the specific form disclosed, but, on the contrary, the invention is to cover all modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined herein. 
     In the following description and in the figures, like elements are identified with like reference numerals. The use of “or” indicates a non-exclusive alternative without limitation unless otherwise noted. The use of “including” means “including, but not limited to,” unless otherwise noted. 
     Referring initially to  FIG. 1 , shown is a first embodiment of a fence post with selectively covered, molded channels. More particularly, shown is a fence post  10  with a plurality of sides  12 , each of which has an external surface  14  and an internal surface  16 . Attached to the internal surface  16  of each of the sides  12  shown in  FIG. 1  is a channel  20  that extends longitudinally along the internal surface  16  of each side  12 . Each of the channels  20  is at least initially at least partially covered by a channel cover  22 . When at selectively at least partially uncovered, each channel  20  is configured to receive and to essentially substantially support a longitudinal end portion  32  of a picket  30 , (shown in  FIG. 5 ). 
     The sides  12  and channels  20  define an interior space  18  (shown in  FIG. 6 ) and a top opening  8  and bottom opening  6  (shown in  FIG. 3 ). The interior space  18  is configured to allow for a support insert (not shown) to be inserted into the fence post  10  via the top opening  8  and to extend down through at least a part of the interior space  18  of the fence post  10  to the bottom opening  6  and possibly into the ground so as to provide additional structural support to the fence post  10  when the fence post  10  is installed in a particular location. Because the interior space  18  of the fence post  10  is defined only by the sides  12  and channels  20 , a significant amount of space is available inside the fence post  10  to allow for insertion of support inserts of any of a number of different configurations. Further, in some embodiments, the top opening  8  is configured to receive a top lid  82  ( FIG. 13 ) so as to close off the interior space  18  of the fence post  10  from environmental elements. 
     According to the preferred embodiment, any or all of the sides  12  of the fence post  10  have fixedly attached thereto a channel  20  that is, at least initially, covered by a channel cover  22 . The channel cover  22 , prior to being selectively removed, is integrated with the external surface  14  of the side  12  into which it is incorporated so that upon visual inspection of that side  12  of the fence post  10  from outside of the fence post  10 , the channel  20  is unseen and the channel cover  22  is visually indistinguishable from the external surface  14  into which it is incorporated. In this way, when the channel cover  22  is in place, the side  12  of the fence post  10  with the in-tact channel cover  22  retains the visual appeal of a fence post that does not have a channel. However, according to the preferred embodiment, the channel cover  22  may be selectively removed, in whole or in part, so as to allow access to any portion of the channel  20  that is behind the channel cover  22 . In particular, the channel cover  22  may be selectively removed in any width or length, up to the width and length of the underlying channel  20 . Thus, narrow access may be provided to the underlying channel  20  (as in the fifth embodiment shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10 ). Accordingly, the channel cover  22  may be removed in a width that corresponds to the width of the underlying channel  20  so that a picket  30  of corresponding width may be received therein to be essentially stably supported. Alternatively, the channel cover  22  may be removed in a narrow width than that of the underlying channel  20  so that a narrow picket  30  or a lattice  70  may be slideably received within the channel  20  and thereafter essentially securely supported. In either case, once the picket  30  or lattice  70  has been received within the channel  20 , the channel  20  acts to essentially stably support the picket  30  or lattice  70  and to minimize or eliminate gaps in the fence assembly between the fence post  10  and the picket  30  or lattice  70 , as the case may be. 
     Also according to the preferred embodiment, one or more of the sides  12  of the fence post  10  define rail-receiving openings  50 . Each rail-receiving opening  50  is configured to accommodate insertion of a latitudinal end portion  42  of a rail  40  (shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 ). The rail-receiving opening  50  is further configured to essentially stably support the latitudinal end portion  42  of the rail  40  after it has been inserted therethrough and into the fence post  10 . 
     According to the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , the front-right and left-back sides  12  of the fence post  10  include channels  20  that are inaccessible from outside the external surface  14  of the sides  12  because the associated channel covers  22  have not yet been selectively removed. Also, according to the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , the front-left and back-right sides  12  of the fence post  10  include channels  20  that are partially accessible from outside the external surface  14  of the sides  12  because the channel covers  22  that were initially in place (not shown) have been partially removed. As such, a longitudinal end portion  32  of pickets  30  may be horizontally slid into the accessible portion of the channels  20  and therein supported essentially stably along the length of the longitudinal end portion  32  of the pickets. In this way, the pickets are held in place and discouraged from bowing inward or outward. The fence post  10  according to the embodiment depicted in  FIG. 1  may support two pickets  32  in essentially 180 degree relation to one another. 
     Also, according to the embodiment depicted in  FIG. 1 , the front-left and back-right sides define a plurality of rail-receiving openings  50  through which a latitudinal end portion  42  of a rail  40  may be inserted and thereafter essentially stably supported. 
     The fence post  10  may also be embodied according to a second embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 2 . In this second embodiment, the front-left side  12  of the fence post  10  has fixedly attached thereto a channel  20  that extends longitudinally only partway along the middle of the side  12 . As shown, the channel cover  22  has already been removed to make accessible the channel  20 . The back-left side  12  of the fence post  10  also has fixedly attached thereto a channel  20  that extends longitudinally along the entire length of the side  12 . The corresponding channel cover  22  has not yet been removed. However, the front-right and back-right sides do not have attached thereto channels  20 . Further, the front-left, front-right, and back-right sides each define a plurality of rail-receiving openings  50 , through each of which a lateral end portion  42  of a rail  40  may be inserted and thereafter essentially stably secured. 
     Shown in  FIG. 3  is a third embodiment of the fence post  10 , in which three of the sides  12  have channels  20  fixedly attached thereto. One of the sides  12 , the front-left side, has such a channel  20  extending longitudinally along only a middle portion of the side  12 . Two of the other sides, the front-right side and the back-left side, each include channels  20  extending longitudinally along a greater length of the relative side  12 . The channel cover  22  of the back-left side  12  has not been removed, while the channel cover  22  of the front-right side  12  has been completed removed. In this way, the channel  20  of the front-right side  12  may receive therein a longitudinal end portion  32  of a picket  30  in that the longitudinal end portion  32  of the picket  30  may be slid into the channel  20  either horizontally, in the direction depicted by arrow  1 , or vertically, in the direction depicted by arrow  2 . 
     Also, according to the embodiment depicted in  FIG. 3 , the front-left and front-right sides  12  define a plurality of rail-receiving openings  50  configured in the same manner as described above. Accordingly, a fence assembly incorporating the embodiment according to  FIG. 3  would allow the fence post  10  to support rails  40  arranged at approximately 90 degrees from one another. 
       FIG. 4  shows a combination of two rails  40  and a picket  30  in which the picket  30  has been slideably received within the groove  46  of the rail  40 . The depicted rails  40  and pickets  30  are known in the art. The entire combination may be horizontally slid into the front-left side  12  of the fence  10  according to the embodiment depicted in  FIG. 1 , in that the latitudinal end portions  42  of the rails  40  may be horizontally inserted into the rail-receiving openings  50  defined by the front-left side  12  while the longitudinal end portion  32  of the picket  30  may be slid into the accessible portion of the channel  20  since the channel cover  22  has been partially removed as shown. Thereafter, the latitudinal end portions  42  of the rails  40  will be essentially stably supported by the side  12  and the longitudinal end portion  32  of the picket  30  will be essentially stably supported by the channel  20  and discouraged from bowing. 
     Alternatively, the combination shown in  FIG. 4  may be horizontally slid to interconnect with the front-right side  12  of the embodiment depicted in  FIG. 2 . In this way, the latitudinal end portions  42  of the rails  40  may be inserted into the rail-receiving openings  50  defined by the front-right side  12  so that the latitudinal end portions  42  of the rails  40  will thereafter be essentially stably supported. The longitudinal end portion  32  of the picket  30 , however, will remain supported only by the rail  40  in that no channel on the front-right side  12  is available to receive the longitudinal end portion  32  of the picket  30 . Thus, the picket  30  will be less discouraged from bowing as in the implementation described in the preceding paragraph. 
       FIG. 5  is a partial enlarged view of the known rail  40  and picket  30  of  FIG. 4  in which the rail  40  has a groove  46  in which a latitudinal end portion  34  of a picket  30  has been slideably received. 
       FIG. 6  is a top view of the first embodiment of the fence post with covered, molded channels, i.e., the embodiment depicted in  FIG. 1 . As shown, the sides  12  and the channels  20  define the interior space  18  of the fence post  10 . As shown, the channel covers  22  and channels  20  are integrated with each of the four sides  12 . That is, the channels  20  are uniformly joined with the internal surfaces  16 . In other embodiments, however, the channels  20  are initially separate and then joined to the internal surfaces  16  (as shown in  FIG. 11 ). 
       FIG. 7  is a top view of a fourth embodiment in which all channels  20  are fixedly attached to all four sides  12  of the fence post  10 . The channel cover of the upper-most-shown side  12  has been removed completely and a longitudinal end portion  32  of a picket  30  received in the accessible channel. The channel cover of the bottom-most-shown side  12  has been removed in part and a longitudinal end portion  32  of a picket  30  received in the accessible channel. Accordingly, from another perspective of the upper-most-shown side with completely-removed channel cover, the upper-most portion of the channel  20  on the top side  12  would be visible to passersby (as with the front-right side shown in  FIG. 3 ). However, from another perspective of the bottom-most-shown side  12  with partially-removed channel cover, the upper-most portion of the channel  20  on the bottom side would remain hidden from view to passers by (as with the front-left side shown in  FIG. 1 ) because that portion remains covered by the channel cover  22 . Further, because the upper-most portion of the channel cover  22  of the bottom-most-shown side has not been removed, the longitudinal end portion  32  of the picket  30  may be only horizontally slideably received within the channel  20 . On the other hand, because the upper-most portion of the channel cover  22  of the upper-most-shown side has been removed, the longitudinal end portion  32  of the picket  30  may be either horizontally slideably received or vertically slideably received within the channel  20 . 
       FIG. 8  depicts a partial fence assembly including the fence post  10  according to the first embodiment (also shown in  FIGS. 1 and 6 ). In particular, the rail-picket combination as shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5  has been connected with the fence post  10  of the first embodiment, i.e., that shown in  FIGS. 1 and 6 . Specifically, the latitudinal end portions  34  of two pickets  30  have been received within the grooves  46  of two rails  40 . A latitudinal end portion  42  of each of the rails  40  has then been inserted into one of each of two rail-receiving openings  50  and a longitudinal end portion  32  of each of the pickets  30  has been horizontally, slideably received into the channels  20 , as made accessible by removing channel covers  22  therefrom. As such, the pickets  30  are essentially stably supported on all connected sides in that the longitudinal end portions  32  are essentially stably supported by the channels  20  of the sides  12  of the fence post  10  and the latitudinal end portions  34  are essentially stably supported by the grooves  46  of the rail  40 . Further, the latitudinal end portions  42  of the rails  40  are essentially stably supported by the sides  12  of the fence post  10  as well. Thus, the pickets  30  are supported along the entire length of the picket&#39;s longitudinal end  32  without the need for installing a separate brace and without the need for nailing or screwing the picket  30  in place. Thereafter, the fence assembly may be easily disassembled without the use of tools. 
       FIG. 9  depicts the fence post with selectively covered, molded channels according to a fifth embodiment. As shown, the front-left side  12  of the fence post  10  defines three rail-receiving openings  50 . The channel cover  22  between the lowest and middle rail-receiving openings  50  has been removed to the full width of the underlying channel  20  so that the channel  20  is accessible for the longitudinal end portion  32  of a picket  30  to be horizontally, slideably received therein. The channel cover  22  between the middle and upper rail-receiving openings  50  has been removed to only a narrow width, narrower than the width of the underlying channel  20 , so that the channel  20  is accessible for the end portion  72  of a lattice  70  or more narrow picket may be horizontally, slideably received therein. 
       FIG. 10  depicts the fence post with selectively covered, molded channels according to a modification of the fifth embodiment depicted in  FIG. 9 . As shown, both the front-left and back-right sides  12  have defined rail-receiving openings  50 . The channel covers  22  extending away from the rail-receiving openings  50  have been selectively removed to a narrow width as explained in the previous paragraph. The latitudinal end portion  42  of a rail  40  has been inserted within each of the rail-receiving openings, and the end portion  72  of a lattice  70  has been slideably received within the accessible portion of the channels  20 . 
       FIG. 11  depicts the top of a fence post with selectively covered, molded channels according to a sixth embodiment. According to this embodiment, the channels  20  and the sides  12  are not constructed as one piece. Rather, the channels  20  were initially separate, and then joined to the internal surfaces  16  of the sides  12 . Accordingly, unlike the fence post  10  of the first embodiment (shown in  FIG. 6 ), there is a lack of unity between the channels  20 , themselves, and the sides  12 . In other embodiments, some channels  20  may be unified with the sides  12  while some are initially-separate attachments thereto. 
       FIG. 12  depicts a fence post with selectively covered, molded channels according to a seventh embodiment. The seventh depicted embodiment is much like that shown in  FIGS. 1 and 6 , but with the addition of gussets  80  on the sides of the channels  20 . The gussets  80  provide further structural support to the channels  20 . The gusset, which, in this embodiment, comprises a long, three-sided material, is fitted between and attached to the internal surface  16  of a side  12  and the channel  20  that is fixedly attached thereto so as to encourage said internal surface  16  and said channel  20  to remain in a basically 90 degree relation to one another. In other embodiments, the gussets  80  do not extend the entire length of the channels  20 , are not included on each and every channel  20  in the post  10 , and/or are of a different shape than three-sided. 
       FIG. 13  depicts the fence post with selectively covered, molded channels according to the first embodiment (shown in  FIGS. 1 and 6 ), but with a lid  82  raised just slightly above being in place. In other embodiments, the lid  82  may be differently configured but similarly positioned to close the top opening  8 . 
     As shown in the depicted embodiments, it is preferred that the rail-receiving openings  50  defined in each side  12  essentially vertically align with each other. Also, as depicted, it is preferred that the rail-receiving openings  50  defined by a side  12  vertically align with the channel  20  fixedly attached to that side  12 . 
     It is preferred that the fence post  10  be constructed from plastic, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic. In this way, the fence post  10  may be extruded and molded essentially as a single piece (as shown in  FIG. 6 ). Thus, it is preferred that the channels  20  are molded channels formed during extrusion of the fence post  10 . In this way, they are fixedly attached to the interior surface  16  of the sides  12  of the fence post  10 . Thus, the fence post  10  may be constructed entirely from plastic. The channel covers  22  may thereafter be removed, when desired, by cutting away the plastic comprising the channel covers  22 . 
     It should be noted that the number of sides comprising the fence post  10  may be different in other embodiments. Other embodiments may utilize a three-sided, five-sided, or other number of sided post. Further, the number of channels incorporated, whether channels are included on each side, the length of the included channels, the width of the included channels, and the number, orientation, and shape of rail receiving openings may readily vary depending on the desired embodiment. Accordingly, while there is shown and described the present preferred embodiments of the fence post with selectively covered, molded channels, it is to be distinctly understood that this invention is not limited thereto but may be variously embodied to practice within the scope of this disclosure. From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by this disclosure. 
     Still other features and advantages of the present fence post with selectively-covered, molded channels will become readily apparent to those skilled in this art from the following detailed description describing preferred embodiments of the fence post, simply by way of illustration of the best mode contemplated by carrying out the fence post. As will be realized, the fence post is capable of modification in various obvious respects all without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and description of the preferred embodiments are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive in nature.

Summary:
Disclosed is a fence post with selectively covered, molded channels for use in modular fences. The post includes at least one longitudinally-extending channel that is covered by the exterior surface of a side of the fence post in such a way that channel is not visible from the exterior of the fence post until the covering portion of the fence post is cut away, in whole or in part, to make the channel accessible. The channel cover may be removed, in whole or in part, to allow longitudinal ends of pickets to be slid into the channel, either horizontally or vertically according to the selected portion of the channel cover that is removed. In this way, one fence post design may be used to stably support pickets connected on any of the sides of the post while leaving the other sides smooth in external appearance.