Patent Publication Number: US-11384576-B2

Title: Hinge for maintaining posts in longitudinal contact

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 62/703,273, filed on Jul. 25, 2018, entitled “Hinge for Maintaining Posts in Longitudinal Contact,” the entire contents of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This disclosure relates to a hinge. Particularly, this disclosure relates to a hinge design that allows for the posts to which the hinge is attached to be held in close proximity, when closed. In some embodiments, the posts are touching, or within 1 mm of each other, when closed. This prevents most, if not all, small animals from passing between the posts when the hinge is closed. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Perimeter fencing, such as electrified fences, are used to keep trespassers from entering protected areas. To be effective, non-electrified spaces must be smaller than the smallest intruder, otherwise they can avoid or escape the electric deterrent. In the case of electrified fences protecting outdoor structures, such as power stations, the intruder can be a small rodent, or in some environments, a snake. Such small creatures can often pass between the posts of closed gates provided to allow human access. 
     The hinge design described herein minimizes the gap created by a hinge and therefore minimized the amount and frequency with which even small creatures will defeat the perimeter fencing. 
     SUMMARY 
     In some embodiments, the present disclosure describes a hinge. The hinge includes two hinge halves. Each hinge half includes a finger portion arranged to interlace with a finger portion of the other hinge half, each finger of the finger portions defining an opening and an arcuate post-engaging portion extending for at least 90 degrees and defining a longitudinal opening for receiving an end post, wherein each longitudinal opening faces the other when the hinge is in a closed position. The hinge also includes a hinge pin passing through and within the openings of the interlaced fingers of the finger portions thereby allowing rotation of at least one hinge half about the hinge pin with respect to the other hinge half. The hinge is configured such that when the hinge is in a closed position, the posts to which the hinge is attached are maintained in substantial contact along substantially the entire longitudinal length of the posts. 
     In other embodiments, the present disclosure describes a gate assembly as part of a fence. The gate assembly includes a first fence panel connected to a second fence panel, each including an end post. The end posts are connected by a hinge consistent with disclosed embodiments such that the end posts are maintained in substantial contact along substantially the entire length of the end post. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a front view of a fence including a traditional hinge illustrating a gap between the hinged posts; 
         FIG. 2  is a close-up view of a traditional hinge and the longitudinal gap formed between pipes hinged with such a hinge; 
         FIG. 3  is another view of a traditional hinged; 
         FIG. 4  is an top end view of a hinge in accordance with some embodiments described herein; 
         FIG. 5  is a top end view of a hinge in accordance with some embodiments described herein, with the hinged pipes shown; 
         FIG. 6  is a first side view of a hinge in accordance with some embodiments described herein, with the hinged pipes shown; 
         FIG. 7  is a second side view, opposite that of  FIG. 6 , of a hinge in accordance with some embodiments described herein, with the hinged pipes shown; and 
         FIG. 8  is a front view of a fence including a hinge and post arrangement in accordance with some embodiments described herein, illustrating the longitudinal contact between the hinged posts. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Perimeter fencing such as electrified fencing is helpful in keeping wildlife from entering and damaging outdoor structures such as power plants or electrical sub-stations. When dealing with snakes or other animals that can maneuver through very small cracks, the tolerances become very tight. In case of fire or other emergency, hinged exit points at various points in a fence panel that would allow for a secondary exit or entrance are necessary. The gap created between posts at these hinged exit points need to have a tight tolerance similar to the rest of the panel in order to keep out small animals and other critters. 
       FIGS. 1-3  are depictions of a fence  10  and a prior art traditional hinge  20 . The fence  10  includes two panels  12 ,  14  having respective end posts  16 ,  18 . The end posts  16 ,  18  are connected by the traditional hinge  20 . The hinge  20  enables the first panel  10  and second panel  12  to pivot relative to each other (e.g., the second panel  14  may be a gate that opens with respect to a stationary first panel  12 ). 
     In one example, the traditional hinge  20  shown in  FIG. 2  may be a commercially available hinge that connects the two end posts  16 ,  18 . As can be seen, the portions of the hinge  20  engaging the end posts  16 ,  18  add thickness to the posts and create a space between the pipes due to their alignment. As shown in  FIGS. 2-3 , the hinge portion of the traditional hinge  20  is formed by two flanges  22 ,  24  that extend between the post holding portions  26 ,  28 , thereby leading to a gap  30  between the end posts  16 ,  18 . This gap  30  enables small animals and other critters to slip through the fence  10 . 
     Applicant has found that by rotating the opening of the hinge, such that pipe-holding portions of the hinge need not contact one another, the end posts  16 ,  18  can be brought into close proximity with each other, limited practically only by the need to not interfere with the rotation. In some instances, the end posts  16 ,  18  may actually touch each other along their lengths.  FIGS. 4-8  depict an exemplary embodiment a hinge  100 , consistent with disclosed embodiments. 
     In some embodiments, the hinge  100  comprises two hinge halves  102 ,  104 , each comprising a finger section  106 ,  108  and post-engaging portion  110 ,  112 , respectively. Each finger section  106 ,  108  has an opening adapted to accept a hinge pin  114 . A hinge arm  116 ,  118  extends from the at least one finger section  106 ,  108  and leads to a respective arcuate post-engaging portion  110 ,  112 . The hinge arms  116 ,  118  are not aligned (e.g., not collinear or coplanar) in the closed position, in at least one embodiment. The post-engaging portions  110 ,  112  span at least about 90° but not more than about 270°, thereby leaving an opening  120 ,  122  to accept a respective end post  16 ,  18 . In some embodiments, the post-engaging portions  110 ,  112  span between 90° and 180°. In other embodiments, the post-engaging portions  110 ,  112  span between 180° and 270°. The fingers of each finger section  106 ,  108  are arranged such that they interlace with each other and the hinge pin  114  may be placed within the openings thereof to secure the two hinge halves together, for rotation about the hinge pin  114 . 
     The arcuate post-engaging portions  110 ,  112  of each hinge half  102 ,  104  are arranged such that the openings  120 ,  122  face each other in the closed position. This arrangement avoids the finger portions  106 ,  108  aligning with one another (i.e., on the same line like the flanges  22 ,  24  shown in  FIG. 2 ) which therefore eliminates the extra depth around the hinge and resultant gap between the end posts  16 ,  18  (e.g., as shown in  FIGS. 1-2 ). In other words, the finger portions  106 ,  108  are angled with respect to each other when the hinge  100  is in the closed position and the end posts  16 ,  18  are in contact with each other (e.g., as shown in  FIG. 5 ). The disclosed hinge  100  allows the end posts  16 ,  18  (e.g. 2 inch PVC pipes) to contact with each other, or otherwise very close, e.g. less than 1 mm apart, when the fence panels  12 ,  14  are aligned with each other (e.g., a gate is in a closed position). The close positioning of the end posts  16 ,  18  in this arrangement minimizes or prevents many small creatures from be able to pass through the gate, even at the hinge. 
     It should be appreciated that the radius r, r a  of the post-engaging portions  110 ,  112  should be similar to the outside radius, r 1 , r 1a  of the pipes to be hinged, or slightly smaller. Each portion of the hinge should be sized taking these dimensions in mind, and allowing for the two end posts to come into contact along substantially their entire longitudinal dimension. 
     Although in most applications the radius of each post, and thus the radius of each post-engaging portion will be approximately equal. It is possible that the concepts and techniques described herein could apply to pipes having dissimilar dimensions. To accommodate such an arrangement, the size of one hinge half, and the length of the hinge arm would be adjusted accordingly along with the radius of the post-engaging portion of the hinge half. 
     The size of the opening defined by the post-engaging portion is selected to allow for secure holding of the post via flex fit, friction fit, and/or by a screw or other fastener. In some embodiments, the flexibility of the hinge material will simultaneously allow a post to be inserted and hold it securely in place via pressure and or friction. Adhesives or other securing measures such as screws may be used in addition to or instead of such a flex or friction fit, so long as the screws do not interfere with the rotational movement. 
     Also contemplated herein are pre-fabricated gate and post portions comprising a gate, a mounting post, and at least one hinge, such as described above, interconnecting the two. The gate comprises a hinge post, which, as the name suggests, is interconnected to the mounting post via the at least one hinge such that when closed, the hinge post and the mounting post are in contact or close proximity (&lt;1 mm) to one another along substantially their entire longitudinal length. As will be appreciated, two or more hinges are preferred. An elongated hinge akin to a piano hinge, is also contemplated, and such an arrangement provides a further barrier to entry. 
     The hinge itself may be made of any material, although aluminum seems to be a natural choice. Plastics, steel, stainless steel, or other rigid materials may be used. With respect to the posts, while this description contemplates the use of cylindrical PVC piping, any cylindrical post, solid or hollow, may be used, including wood, metal, composites or other materials. The posts, although contemplated herein to be cylindrical (having a circular cross-section), other shapes may be employed, so long as they can be rotated through hinge action to come into close proximity with one another along substantially their entire longitudinal length. 
     These and other variation will be readily apparent without straying from the scope and spirit of the close-proximity hinge apparatus describe herein.