Thermoplastic fencing construction

Abstract

A fencing construction made of thermoplastic materials which can be easily assembled utilizing ultrasonic welding and which can include a unique configuration for the ultrasonic welding surfaces which prevents the flow of melted thermoplastic materials outwardly onto the decorative outer surfaces of the various fencing parts. Any excess thermoplastic material is designed to pass inwardly toward the longitudinally extending bore defined in the various fencing construction parts. This concept is particularly useful for attaching capping fence members which are injection molded onto structural fence members which are extruded.

1 . A thermoplastic fencing construction which facilitates assembly by ultrasonic welding thereof comprising:
 A. a structural fence member of thermoplastic material including:
 ( 1 ) a hollow body member of thermoplastic material defining a bore means extending longitudinally therethrough, said hollow body member also defining at least one bore opening means therein in fluid flow communication with respect to said bore means; 
 ( 2 ) an inner wall surface defining said bore means within said hollow body member; 
 ( 3 ) an outer wall surface positioned oppositely from said inner wall surface and facing outwardly from said hollow body member; 
 ( 4 ) a structural securement zone defined on said inner wall surface within said hollow body member to securement with respect thereto; 
 ( 5 ) a structural securement zone outer boundary line defined extending along said structural securement zone on said inner wall surface of said structural fence member; and 
 ( 6 ) a structural securement zone inner boundary line defined on said inner wall surface at a position spatially disposed from said structural securement zone outer boundary line to define said structural securement zone therebetween; 
   B. a capping fence member of thermoplastic material selectively positionable extending into said bore means and over said bore opening means and being in abutment with respect to said structural fence member to facilitate securement with respect thereto by ultrasonic welding for capping of said bore opening means, said capping fence member extending through said bore opening means into said bore means to a position adjacent said inner wall surface to facilitate alignment and engaging abutment of said capping body member with respect thereto responsive to ultrasonic welding thereof, said capping fence member comprising:
 ( 1 ) a capping securement zone defined upon said capping fence member and positionable adjacent to and in registration with respect to said structural securement zone of said structural fence member defined on said inner wall surface thereof to facilitate securement therebetween by ultrasonic welding; 
 ( 2 ) a capping securement zone outer boundary line defined extending along said capping securement zone and being registrable with respect to said structural securement zone outer boundary line responsive to positioning of said capping fence member within said bore means of said structural fence member with said capping securement zone thereof positioned adjacent to said structural securement zone for facilitating securement therebetween by ultrasonic welding; 
 ( 3 ) a capping securement zone inner boundary line defined extending along said capping securement zone and positioned spatially disposed from said capping securement zone outer boundary line to define said capping securement zone therebetween, said capping securement zone inner-boundary line being registrable with respect to said structural securement zone inner boundary line responsive to positioning of said capping securement zone of said capping fence member adjacent to said structural securement zone of said structural fence member for facilitating securement therebetween by ultrasonic welding; and 
 ( 4 ) a plurality of welding rib means of thermoplastic material positioned on said capping fence member within and adjacent said capping securement zone thereof and extending outwardly therefrom, said welding rib means adapted to be at least partially transform into a fluid state temporarily during ultrasonic welding thereof to facilitate securement of said capping securement zone of said capping fence member with respect to said structural securement zone of said structural fence member for securement therebetween with said capping fence member extending over and capping of said bore opening means of said structural fence member. 
   
     
     
         2 . A thermoplastic fencing construction which facilitates assembly by ultrasonic welding thereof as defined in  claim 1  wherein said capping fence member includes a plurality of alignment pins extending outwardly therefrom and adapted to extend through said bore opening means into said bore means to facilitate engagement of said capping fence member with respect to said structural fence member, said welding rib means being positioned on at least one of said alignment pins in abutment with respect to said inner wall surface of said structural fence member to facilitate engagement between said alignment pins of said capping fence member and said inner wall surface of said structural fence member responsive to ultrasonic welding. 
     
     
         3 . A thermoplastic fencing construction which facilitates assembly by ultrasonic welding thereof as defined in  claim 1  wherein said capping fence member includes:
 ( 1 ) a capping body member of thermoplastic material positionable extending across said bore opening means for capping thereof; and 
 ( 2 ) an alignment rim comprising a plurality of alignment panels of thermoplastic material extending outwardly from said capping body member and adapted to extend through said bore opening means into said bore means to a position adjacent said inner wall surface of said structural fence member to facilitate alignment and engaging abutment of said capping body member with respect thereto responsive to ultrasonic welding thereof, said capping securement zone being defined on said alignment rim of said capping body member, said capping securement zone outer boundary line and said capping securement zone inner boundary line also being defined on said alignment rim spatially disposed from one another to define said capping securement zone therebetween, said welding rib means being positioned on said alignment rim of said capping fence member to facilitate ultrasonic engagement between said alignment rim of said capping fence member and said inner wall surface of said structural fence member in a position extending over said bore opening means. 
 
     
     
         4 . A thermoplastic fencing construction which facilitates assembly by ultrasonic welding thereof as defined in  claim 3  wherein said structural securement zone is defined on said inner wall surface of said hollow body member at a position adjacent to said bore opening means. 
     
     
         5 . A thermoplastic fencing construction which facilitates assembly by ultrasonic welding thereof as defined in  claim 3  wherein said capping securement zone is defined on said alignment rim of said capping fence member at a position immediately adjacent to said capping body member. 
     
     
         6 . A thermoplastic fencing construction which facilitates assembly by ultrasonic welding thereof as defined in  claim 3  wherein said structural securement zone outer boundary line is positioned on said inner wall surface at a location closer to said bore opening means than said structural securement zone inner boundary line while defining said structural securement zone therebetween. 
     
     
         7 . A thermoplastic fencing construction which facilitates assembly by ultrasonic welding thereof as defined in  claim 3  wherein said capping securement zone outer boundary line is positioned on said alignment rim at a position closer to said capping body member than said capping securement zone inner boundary line while defining said capping securement zone therebetween. 
     
     
         8 . A thermoplastic fencing construction which facilitates assembly by ultrasonic welding thereof as defined in  claim 3  wherein said capping securement zone extends around the exterior of said alignment rim facing outwardly therefrom to facilitate registration with said structural securement zone defined on said inner wall surface of said hollow body member to facilitate securement therebetween responsive to ultrasonic welding thereof. 
     
     
         9 . A thermoplastic fencing construction which facilitates assembly by ultrasonic welding thereof as defined in  claim 3  wherein said structural fence member defines a structural abutment edge positioned extending peripherally therearound between said capping body member and said alignment rim and wherein said capping fence member defines a capping abutment edge, said structural abutment edge and said capping abutment edge adapted to be positioned in mutual abutment responsive to positioning of said capping fence member extending over and within said bore opening means with said structural securement zone and said capping securement zone position adjacent one another for securement therebetween by ultrasonic welding. 
     
     
         10 . A thermoplastic fencing construction which facilitates assembly by ultrasonic welding thereof as defined in  claim 9  wherein said welding rib means are defined on said alignment rim such that positioning of said capping fence member extending through said bore opening means into said bore means of said structural fence member with abutment between said capping abutment edge and said structural abutment edge will position said welding ribs entirely within said bore means and inside of the position of abutment between said capping abutment edge and said structural abutment edge to prevent the flow of thermoplastic material made fluid during ultrasonic welding thereof outwardly onto said outer wall surface of said structural fence member during ultrasonic welding. 
     
     
         11 . A thermoplastic fencing construction which facilitates assembly by ultrasonic welding thereof as defined in  claim 3  wherein said welding ribs means positioned on said capping securement zone extend longitudinally with respect to said bore means of said structural fence member responsive to said capping fence member being positioned therewithin. 
     
     
         12 . A thermoplastic fencing construction which facilitates assembly by ultrasonic welding thereof as defined in  claim 3  wherein said welding ribs are tapered in a direction extending away from said capping body member to facilitate ultrasonic welding therewith. 
     
     
         13 . A thermoplastic fencing construction which facilitates assembly by ultrasonic welding thereof as defined in  claim 3  wherein said alignment rim includes at least one truncated corner panel extending to a position spatially disposed from said inner wall surface to facilitate placement thereof through said bore opening means into said bore means and to provide an open area between said alignment rim and said inner wall surface to gather excess thermoplastic fluid material during ultrasonic welding to further prevent flow of thermoplastic material outwardly onto said outer wall surface of said structural fence member during ultrasonic welding. 
     
     
         14 . A thermoplastic fencing construction which facilitates assembly by ultrasonic welding thereof as defined in  claim 3  wherein said alignment rim includes:
 A. a first alignment panel; 
 B. a second alignment panel oriented parallel with respect to said first alignment panel; 
 C. a third alignment panel extending between said first alignment panel and said second alignment panel and oriented approximately perpendicular with respect thereto; and 
 D. a fourth alignment panel extending between said first alignment panel and said second alignment panel and oriented approximately perpendicular with respect thereto, said fourth alignment panel being positioned spatially disposed from said third alignment panel. 
 
     
     
         15 . A thermoplastic fencing construction which facilitates assembly by ultrasonic welding thereof as defined in  claim 14  wherein said welding ribs are positioned only upon said first alignment panel. 
     
     
         16 . A thermoplastic fencing construction which facilitates assembly by ultrasonic welding thereof as defined in  claim 14  wherein said welding ribs are positioned only upon said first alignment panel and said second alignment panel. 
     
     
         17 . A thermoplastic fencing construction which facilitates assembly by ultrasonic welding thereof as defined in  claim 14  wherein said welding ribs are positioned upon all four of said alignment panels. 
     
     
         18 . A thermoplastic fencing construction which facilitates assembly by ultrasonic welding thereof as defined in  claim 14  wherein each of said welding rib means includes a first rib wall section and a second rib wall section extending approximately parallel to one another and spatially disposed from one another to define therebetween a main rib section extending outwardly from said alignment rim. 
     
     
         19 . A thermoplastic fencing construction which facilitates assembly by ultrasonic welding thereof as defined in  claim 18  wherein each of said welding rib means includes a third rib wall section adjacent to said first rib wall section and extending outwardly therefrom in a direction extending away from said alignment rim, each of said welding rib means also including a fourth rib wall section adjacent to said second rib wall section and extending outwardly therefrom in a direction extending away from said alignment rim, said third rib wall section and said fourth rib wall section being angularly oriented with respect to one another to define therebetween a tapered rib section to facilitate ultrasonic welding therewith. 
     
     
         20 . A thermoplastic fencing construction which facilitates assembly by ultrasonic welding thereof as defined in  claim 19  wherein said third rib wall section and said fourth rib wall section are tapered to facilitate defining an outermost edge therebetween on said tapered rib section to further facilitate ultrasonic welding therewith. 
     
     
         21 . A thermoplastic fencing construction which facilitates assembly by ultrasonic welding thereof as defined in  claim 1  wherein said structural fence member is formed by injection molding and wherein said capping fence member is formed by extruding. 
     
     
         22 . A thermoplastic fencing construction which facilitates assembly by ultrasonic welding thereof as defined in  claim 1  wherein said structural fence member is extruded from polyvinyl chloride thermoplastic material and wherein said capping fence member is injection molded from polyvinyl chloride thermoplastic material.