Abstract:
A lightweight fence and gate for swimming pools surrounded by a deck comprising a plurality of poles adapted to be inserted into the pool decking adjacent to the pool, the poles including an insert that is contained within each pole and a pin that is adhesively attached to each insert, the pin protruding from the bottom of each pole; a mesh screen tensioned between the poles having top and bottom bindings; a gate in the fence including a frame having a pair of spaced upright support members, a first horizontal brace for spacing the upright support members and a length of mesh screen tensioned between the upright support members; support means capable of withstanding lateral tension forces of the screen for supporting and latching the gate; hinges secured to the support means on one side of the gate; and a latch device secured to the gate and to the support means on the opposite side of the gate.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     In recent years, a need has been recognized for a type of swimming pool fence that is difficult for a small child to climb and is weather resistant, yet may be removed for uninterrupted use of the swimming pool. These fences employ a number of rigid or slightly flexible poles of steel, aluminum or fiberglass which are set in holes in a pool decking approximately two feet from the edge of the pool. The poles are located at approximately a 30-36 inch spacing.  
         [0002]     Tensioned between the poles is a mesh screen having a binding top and bottom and sufficient tensile strength so that a person cannot easily enlarge the mesh openings to force a way through the fence. Further, there are no footholds or handholds for a child to climb the fence. The bound upper edge of the fence prevents fraying of the mesh, but does not provide a handhold or sufficient rigidity to aid a child to climb over the fence, even if the child can reach to the top of the fence. The instability of the top binding acts as a deterrent for the child even if he or she touches the top of the fence.  
         [0003]     The fence may be opened to allow swimmers to enter and leave the pool area by unlatching a section which acts as a gate, usually with a spring-loaded hook and eye fastener and then by lifting one pole out of its deck socket. The pole must be reinserted and the latch hooked for each entry and departure from the pool area. More elaborate gates have also been developed.  
         [0004]     When the pool is used without the fence, each of the poles may be pulled in sequence from their socket and the fabric fencing material and poles are rolled to form a compact structure. Reassembly of the fence starts by inserting the first pole, hooking it to a rigid structure and extending each pole in the section in sequence to another rigid structure or back to the original pole to complete a closed circuit. Each section is then tensioned with the fastener connecting each fence section to the next section.  
         [0005]     Initially, holes were made in the pool decking that were at a diameter capable of receiving the lower end of the fence poles. This approach required holes large enough to receive the full width of a fence pole. However, in an effort to make the holes less noticeable when a pool is used without a fence, designs were developed where smaller diameter steel pins were mounted at the lower end of a fence pole such that smaller holes, capable of receiving the smaller diameter pins, could be placed in the pool decking. Such pins have not been used at the gate structure for pool fences because of a perceived need to provide a more stable, rigid structure at and near the gate.  
         [0006]     The steel pins have been mounted in the fence poles by placing at least a portion of their length inside the center of a length of plastic pipe. The pin would extend out beyond one end of the plastic pipe. The entire length of plastic pipe would then be inserted into the lower end of a fence pole, with the outwardly extending portion of the steel pin extending from the lower end of the pole. The fence pole, plastic pipe and steel pin would then be held in place by a screw placed through a bore drilled across the fence pole, plastic pipe and steel pin from side to side of the pole.  
         [0007]     As noted above, poles with smaller diameter pins have not been used at and near gate structures because of stability concerns. Moreover, attaching the pin to the pole using a cross screw is a difficult process; three components must be held steady during drilling of a cross hole and then placement of the screw to ensure that everything lines up. The resulting attachment is also subject to failure should the cross screw shear during any twisting of the three components relative to one another. Accordingly, a more stable and reliable fence pole with a smaller diameter pin at its lower end would be desirable, as would a lightweight fence incorporating such poles, including even at and near any gate structure.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     The present invention, in one aspect, comprises a fence pole having a lower end, an insert that is received within the lower end of the fence pole and a pin that is adhesively attached to the insert, the pin having a diameter smaller than that of the pole and a portion that protrudes from the lower end of the fence pole. In another aspect, the present invention is directed to a method of manufacturing a fence pole comprising: coating a portion of a pin with an adhesive; introducing the pin into an insert, the pin protruding from the bottom of the insert, and placing the insert within the pole so that the pin protrudes from the bottom of the pole.  
         [0009]     In yet another aspect, the present invention is directed to a lightweight fence and gate for swimming pools surrounded by a deck comprising a plurality of poles adapted to be inserted into the pool decking adjacent to the pool, the poles including an insert that is contained within each pole and a pin that is adhesively attached to each insert, the pin protruding from the bottom of each pole; a mesh screen tensioned between the poles having top and bottom bindings; a gate in the fence including a frame having a pair of spaced upright support members, a first horizontal brace for spacing the upright support members and a length of mesh screen tensioned between the upright support members; support means capable of withstanding lateral tension forces of the screen for supporting and latching the gate; hinges secured to the support means on one side of the gate; and a latch device secured to the gate and to the support means on the opposite side of the gate.  
         [0010]     In a further aspect, the present invention involves the method for installing a self-closing gate in a tensioned removable swimming pool fence comprising a plurality of poles interconnected by flexible mesh fencing comprising: inserting a series of the plurality of poles into a deck surrounding a swimming pool with the flexible mesh fencing in tension to maintain the fence in tension; the first and last poles of the series of poles defining a gate opening, the poles including an insert that is contained within each pole and a pin that is attached to each insert, the pin protruding from the bottom of each pole; the first and last poles each constituting a pair of poles interconnected to each other to define a support structure capable of absorbing the tension of the flexible mesh fencing; fabricating a gate including a pair of side rails, a cross rail and flexible mesh tensioned between the side rails; hinging the first of the pair of side rails of the gate to the first of the pair of poles; and installing a latch between the second of the pair of side rails of the gate and the last pole of the tensioned fence; whereby the gate is free to open and close without interference by the tension of the mesh of the fencing.  
         [0011]     One embodiment of the present invention includes a tension protective fence with a gate presenting the same overall appearance and degree of safety as the fence, but with superior accessibility for adults and difficult accessibility for those of lesser strength and dexterity, such as children.  
         [0012]     That embodiment employs a tensioned pool fence with a multiple pole truss arrangement at each side of the intended gate opening. The multiple poles form a rigid truss. The poles may be arranged and canted sufficiently to provide free standing end posts defining a gate opening. Multiple poles adjacent to the gate relieve the gate from the tension present in the fence.  
         [0013]     The gate, in a preferred embodiment, has a U-shaped frame with a bottom bar, side rails and angle bracing rods or gusset plates for reinforcement, and a fabric fence material matching the fence extending between the side rails. In this embodiment, there is no top bar so that the gate presents no easier access for a child than any other section of the fence.  
         [0014]     The poles forming the truss, as well as the remaining fence poles, may be formed with smaller diameter pins extending down from the lower end of the poles. This embodiment would allow smaller holes in the pool decking. Moreover, in a preferred embodiment, the pins are metal and are mounted in the poles by being adhesively attached in plastic pipe that is then inserted in the poles.  
         [0015]     One or more embodiments of the present invention may have one or more of the following features: 
        1. A tensioned pool protective fence with a tensioned fabric gate in a non-tensioned gate opening.     2. A gate design which provides few, if any, handholds or footholds for a child attempting to climb the fence.     3. A pool security gate with no top gate bar.     4. A gate openable only at the top of the gate post by a manually dexterous person.     5. Poles with smaller diameter pins extending from the lower end thereof for placement in smaller diameter holes in the pool deck.     6. Poles with smaller diameter metal pins adhesively mounted within plastic pipe inserted into the lower end of the poles.       
 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0022]     This invention may be more clearly understood with the following detailed description and by reference to the drawings in which:  
         [0023]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a prior art fence and gate opening;  
         [0024]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of an embodiment of a fence installation incorporating two gates;  
         [0025]      FIG. 3  is a front elevational view of an embodiment of a gate of this invention with a portion of a pool deck in section;  
         [0026]      FIG. 3   a  is a cross-section of a preferred embodiment of the bottom portion of a pole, an insert and a pin;  
         [0027]      FIG. 4  is a top sectional view of an embodiment of a gate region of the fence of  FIG. 3  taken along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3 ;  
         [0028]      FIG. 5  is a fragmentary sectional view of a hinged side of a base of the gate of  FIG. 3 ;  
         [0029]      FIG. 6  is an exploded view of a latch assembly of  FIG. 3 ;  
         [0030]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a hinge of  FIG. 3 ;  
         [0031]      FIG. 7A  is a top plan view of the hinge of  FIG. 3 ;  
         [0032]      FIG. 7B  is a front elevational view of a hinge assembly of  FIG. 3  showing an interior spring;  
         [0033]      FIG. 8  is a force diagram of a gate post assembly of  FIG. 3 ;  
         [0034]      FIG. 9  is a force diagram of a gate of  FIG. 3 ;  
         [0035]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view of the gate latch assembly of  FIG. 3  in a closed and locked position;  
         [0036]      FIG. 11  is a perspective view of a gate latch assembly of  FIG. 3  in an open and unlocked position; and  
         [0037]      FIG. 12  is a side elevational view of a gate latch of  FIG. 3  in a latched position.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0038]      FIG. 1  is representative of a prior art tensioned pool fence  100  including particularly the gate region  102  after a hook and eye closure  16  has been opened. The fence poles  18  and  19  are slightly bowed outward because of the tension on each section of the fence.  
         [0039]     The fact that the entire fence is tensioned when it is closed allows the poles to be relatively small in diameter, e.g., they may have an outer diameter of about 1″. The poles may be manufactured of steel, aluminum, fiberglass tubing or any other suitable material. However, tensioning the fence makes opening of a section or installation of a gate as described above incompatible with normal fence integrity. Moreover operation of a gate places additional forces and stresses upon the poles at and near any gate.  
         [0040]     In order to open the “gate,” pole  19  may be lifted upward out of its socket  17  in the pool deck  70  while pole  18  will be kept in place. Pole  19  will then be folded back to allow entrance and departure from the pool area.  
         [0041]     In order to open the gate portion of the tensioned fence  100 , a person must draw the poles  18  and  19  together sufficiently to relax the load on the hook closure  14  and release it. Then, in opposition to the pool fence tension, the person must draw the pool pole  19  out of its socket  30  in the pool deck  70 . Individuals with limited strength or manipulative ability have difficulty with these two steps. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the first step of releasing the hook  14  and eye closure  16  has been completed. To close the gate, the steps are reversed.  
         [0042]     Now referring to  FIG. 2 , an entire pool fence  10  is shown with two gates. The tension fence  10  may be made up principally of poles  11  and a vinyl-coated mesh fabric  72 . The fence  10  has a lower binding  12  and an upper binding  13  and is installed with between about 15-20 lbs of tension uniformly from top to bottom around its entire periphery. The top and bottom bindings  12  and  13  do not provide effective footholds or handholds to allow a child to climb the fence.  
         [0043]     Referring to  FIG. 3   a , the fence poles  11  may have an insert or pipe  93  lining a portion of the pole  11 . The insert can be made of plastic or another lightweight material. In a preferred embodiment, the insert  93  is about 24 inches long, extends upwardly from the bottom of the pole and is made from Schedule 80 polyvinylchloride (PVC). The insert  93  may be attached to the pole  11  by screws (not shown) that also secure the fabric  72  of the fence  10  to the poles  11 . The insert  93  may also be attached to the poles  11  through the use of rivets or other suitable mechanical means. Moreover, as part of the present invention, it has been determined that adhesives may be used to reliably attach pole components to one another. Thus adhesives could be used to attach the insert to the pole. Further, the insert may be made from any lightweight durable material.  
         [0044]     Attached to the bottom portion of the insert  93  may be a pin  91 . In a preferred embodiment, part of the pin extends past the bottom of the insert  93  and pole  11 . In a further preferred embodiment, the pin  91  is made from a metal, such as stainless steel, is about 11 inches long and extends about 4 inches past the bottom of the insert  93  and pole  11 . The pin  91  may be attached to the insert  93  by adhesive, or by any other suitable attachment means. An appropriate adhesive should provide a sturdy bond that is relatively unaffected by exposure to ultraviolet light and by changes in temperature. It is anticipated that appropriate adhesives could be selected from epoxy, acrylic and urethane adhesives.  
         [0045]     The pin  91  and insert  93  assembly of this preferred embodiment is advantageous because it is easier to manufacture and because it is more cost effective. The bond created by the adhesive between the pin  91  and the insert  93  holds the two pieces together, thus eliminating the need to drill a bore through the fence pole, the plastic pipe and the steel pin. Further, the cost of the adhesive, and the time spent assembling the pin  91  and the insert  93  is less than the cost of a screw, and the time spent drilling a bore through the assembly, and inserting a screw therethrough.  
         [0046]     In order to set up the fence, the insert  93  of the fence poles  11  is guided into a socket  30  that may be drilled into a base surface, for example, a pool deck  70 . The combination of the insert  93  and the pin  91  adds to the stability and structural integrity of the poles  11 . Thus, in a preferred embodiment, the poles  11  of the fence  10  are made of aluminum. Due to the light weight of aluminum poles, they are easier to carry and set up than, for instance, galvanized steel poles.  
         [0047]     In one embodiment of the present invention, the openings in the fence  10  are of sufficient size to provide a clear view through the fence to observe the pool condition, but are small enough to prevent a child from placing his or her fingers or toes into the fence. Preferably, the openings in the fence  10  are smaller than about {fraction (1/4)} inch in diameter.  
         [0048]     An embodiment of a gate  15  of the present invention is shown in  FIG. 3 . A first pair of support poles  20 ,  22  may line one side of the gate  15 . The poles  20 ,  22  may be inserted into individual sockets  30  that serve to keep the poles  20 ,  22  substantially vertical. The support poles described herein with respect to the gate  15  are similar to the poles described above with respect to the fence  10 . The first support pole  20  may be connected to the second support pole  22  by any appropriate means to form a vertical truss. The spacing between the poles is not critical as long as the poles are connected to form a suitable truss. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the poles are connected by cross-members  24  and  26 . A second pair of support poles  21  and  23 , also inserted into sockets  30 , may line the other side of the gate  15 . The support poles  21 ,  23 , in a preferred embodiment, may be connected by cross-members  25 ,  27  to form a second vertical truss. In an alternate embodiment, poles  11  with a pin  91  extending from the bottom may be used. In this embodiment, the pin  91  is inserted into sockets (not shown) that may be a smaller diameter than those used for the poles  11 . The sockets  30  may be drilled at an angle toward the gate which allows the fence to stay in tension when fabric  72  is attached to the poles  11  which are inserted into the sockets  30 . Preferably, the sockets  30  are drilled at an angle of about five degrees toward the gate. The depth to which the sockets are drilled is not critical, but it should be deep enough to allow the poles to support the fence in tension.  
         [0049]     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the dual poles  20 ,  22  and  21 ,  23  located on either side of the gate isolate the gate  15  from fence tension. The dual truss poles  20 ,  22  and  21 ,  23  may remain essentially vertical when subject to the unidirectional fabric load of the fence.  
         [0050]     Further referring to  FIG. 3 , in connection with  FIGS. 4 and 5 , preferably the gate  15  comprises three frame members. These members include a hinged upright member  31 , base member  32  and a latched upright  33 . Preferably, the base  32  and uprights  31  and  33  are made of steel or aluminum tubing. However, the frame members may be made from any suitably rigid material. The base  32  may be attached to the uprights  31  and  33  by screws or other appropriate attachment means. Reinforcing angled rods or gusset plates  35 ,  36  may be welded or brazed at the joints between the base member  32  and the uprights  31  and  33  to form a unitary structure. A cross-brace  37  may be attached to upright members  31 ,  33  for additional support. In a preferred embodiment, the cross-brace  37  is on the pool side of the gate  15  which ensures that it does not present a foothold on the non-pool side of the gate  15 . Tensioned between the uprights may be a section of improved fencing material  72  with edge bindings  12  and  13  similar to the fence material.  
         [0051]     To provide uniformity of appearance and freedom from any rigid top cross bar structure on the gate, a U-shaped gate may be employed in a preferred embodiment of the present invention as shown in  FIG. 3 . However, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that many modifications may be made to the gate shape that will achieve an acceptable gate structure. Thus, the specific shape of the gate is not critical. It may even include a rigid top cross bar structure in circumstances where child proofing is not an issue.  
         [0052]     The gate may have two sides, a hinged side and a latched side. On the hinged side, the upright member  31  may be pivotally connected to the first pair of support poles  20 ,  22 . In a preferred embodiment, corrosion resistant hinges  74 , as shown in  FIGS. 7, 7   a  and  7 B, spring mount the upright member  31  to the adjacent pole  22 . The hinges  74  have internal springs  45  ( FIG. 7   b ) which urge the gate  15  to a closed position.  
         [0053]     The latched side of the gate  15  may include a smooth-surfaced latch member  50  secured to pole  21  as shown in  FIGS. 6 and 10 - 12  and a gate latch assembly  53  carrying a magnet  56  on the upright adjacent gate pole  33  as shown in  FIG. 4 . The latch member  50  may include a tube  51  containing a ferromagnetic bar  52 . The ferromagnetic bar  52  within the tube  51  may extend along a substantial length of the tube  51  to provide a latching element for the magnet  56 . The magnet  56  urges the bar  52  toward its socket and, in a preferred embodiment, is of sufficient strength so that it will draw the gate  15  closed whenever the gate  15  is open between about one to two inches. Brackets  81  and  82  may be used to secure the latch assembly to the upright support pole  21 . Further, brackets  87  and  88  may be used to secure the magnet  56  and its housing to the gate upright  33 . However, the latch assembly  53  and the magnet  56  and its housing may be attached to their respective poles,  21  and  33 , by any appropriate attachment means.  
         [0054]     The top of the magnetic latch  50  may include a button type handle  60  and a key lock. The gate  15  may be opened by a person by lifting handle  60  to disengage the rod  52  from the socket of magnet  56  and also may be mechanically locked in the closed position by key  90 .  
         [0055]     The fence may be set up as follows. Flexible mesh fencing  72  may be attached to a plurality of poles at selected intervals. The length of the intervals is not critical, but they should be at such as distance to keep the flexible mesh in tension around the pool or spa which the fence  10  surrounds. The poles may be secured to a deck  70  or any other structure surrounding the pool or spa. Two pair of poles  20 ,  22  and  21 ,  23  may then be secured together to form a tension absorbing support structure, one at each edge of a gate in the fence  10 . The gate may include a pair of side rails  31  and  33  and a cross rail  32 , and tensioned mesh  72  extending between the side rails  31  and  33 . One gate side rail  31  may be pivotally connected to the first of the pairs of poles,  20 ,  22 , defining the gate opening. The second of the pair of side rails  33  of the gate may be releasably connected to one of the second pair of poles  21 ,  23  defining the gate opening.  
         [0056]     The above described embodiments of the present invention are merely descriptive of its principles and are not to be considered limiting. The scope of the present invention instead shall be determined from the scope of the following claims including their equivalents.