Set of easily transportable and connectable modular elements particularly for forming an easy-to-assemble modular gate

Abstract

 Set of connectable modular elements particularly for forming gates and/or the like, comprising: two first tubular profiled elements (3) which are provided in order to form outer supporting post tubes that can be engaged in the ground in upright position; four second tubular profiled elements (5) and associated mutual connection means (6) suitable to detachably mutually connect the four second tubular profiled elements (5) in order to form a first outer frame; hinge elements (11) for the oscillating coupling of the first outer frame to one of the supporting posts (3); and four substantially flat strip-like third profiled elements (9) and associated mutual connection means (6) which are suitable to detachably but rigidly couple the third profiled elements (9) and the second profiled elements (5) to form a second internal frame for supporting a barrier net (R) and/or the like, closure means (21) being furthermore provided to detachably couple the outer frame to the other tubular post (3).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a set of connectable modular component elements including metal profiled elements and elements for their mutual connection, particularly for forming an easy-to-assemble modular gate.

[0002] As is known, the need is currently strongly felt to have gates that can be associated with enclosures made of metal net and/or the like.

[0003] This need is generally met by specifically ordering said gates to specialized smiths or craftsmen: this naturally entails drawbacks, the main one being the significant cost of the gate, combined with its non-immediate availability. Transport of the finished gate furthermore requires pickup trucks and is in any case difficult.

[0004] Accordingly, the aim of the present invention is to provide a set of modular component elements that can be easily assembled by the user himself, in an extremely rapid and simple manner, to provide a gate that can be associated with enclosures and/or the like, and particularly does not require, for its construction, welded and/or riveted joints or the like.

[0005] Within the scope of this aim, the main object of the invention is to provide a set of modular component elements that can be assembled to form a gate, said set being marketable as a kit containing all the elements for making said gate and can be sold in supermarkets, shops that sell DIY items, and so forth, and can be transported in disassembled condition on ordinary motor vehicles, so as to allow anyone to easily erect a gate with standard dimensions adaptable to most enclosures currently in use and has a much lower cost than conventional gates manufactured by smiths.

[0006] Another object of the present invention is to provide a set of connectable modular elements for forming gates and/or the like, which allows to build gates that are truly solid and rigid so as to withstand even considerable external stresses.

[0007] Another object of the present invention is to provide a set of connectable modular elements for forming gates and/or the like, wherein the individual component elements can be produced, like conventional tubular or flat profiled elements, at a particularly low cost, by means of existing machines and equipment for the production of metal profiled elements, metal nets, and/or the like.

[0008] According to an aspect of the present invention, this aim, these objects and others which will become apparent hereinafter are achieved by a set of modular component elements that can be assembled to form easy-to-assemble modular gates and/or the like, according to the main claim.

[0009] Other characteristics of the set of connectable modular component elements according to the invention are defined in the dependent claims.

[0010] Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent hereinafter from the following detailed description of a currently preferred embodiment thereof, illustrated only by way of non-limitative example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

figure 1 is a view of the kit of connectable modular elements for forming gates and/or the like according to the present invention;

figure 2 is a view of the elements of the kit of figure 1, shown disconnected but ready for mutual assembly;

figure 3 is a view of a possible gate configuration that can be formed by using the modular elements of figures 1 and 2;

figures 4 to 6 illustrate preferred steps for the forming of the gate of figure 3;

figure 7 is an enlarged-scale view of a detail of the gate of figure 3;

figure 8 is a view of another possible configuration of a gate that can be formed according to the invention.

[0011] With reference to figures 1 and 2, the set or kit of connectable modular elements for forming gates according to the present invention has been generally designated by the reference numeral 1. In particular, said kit can be advantageously contained in a box 2, for example a cardboard box, that can be marketed in department stores and/or similar sales outlets and can be easily carried and loaded in an ordinary car by the individual user.

[0012] Figure 1 illustrates the main elements forming the kit 1 and provided in order to erect a possible gate configuration.

[0013] More specifically, said elements comprise two first lateral tubular metal profiled elements 3 which are provided to form the supporting posts of the gate and can engage, or be planted in a substantially vertical position, as also shown in figure 3, in the ground, in which they can be fixed, if required, with material such as concrete and/or the like.

[0014] The kit furthermore comprises four second tubular metal profiled elements, generally designated by the reference numeral 5, which are provided so that they can be detachably mutually associated by virtue of end sleeve elements, generally designated by the reference numeral 6, which are substantially elbow-shaped so as to form a first frame, hereinafter termed outer frame: advantageously, said sleeves may also be made of an appropriate metallic material, for example aluminum.

[0015] It should be noted that each sleeve-like joining element 6 has a monolithic protrusion 7 through which a respective through hole 8 is formed. The assembled outer frame is more clearly visible in figure 3, whereas the junction between a sleeve element 6 and two tubular profiled elements 5 is more clearly visible in figure 7.

[0016] After forming the substantially rectangular outer frame by coupling the second tubular profiled elements 5 to the sleeves 6 located at the corners of the rectangle, an additional frame, or inner frame, is formed according to the invention specifically by assembling, by screwing them together, four substantially flat third metal profiled elements, generally designated by the reference numeral 9, that can be easily assembled by screwing them directly to the outer frame, so as to form a substantially rigid inner frame, with which it is possible to associate, as more specifically shown in figure 5, in a first embodiment of the invention, a barrier net R of any suitable kind, either electrically welded or not. The inner frame thus partially formed, with its flat elements still uncoupled, is then arranged inside the rectangular outer frame formed by the second tubular profiled element 5, and is fixed at its four corners to the protrusions 7 of the sleeves 6 by means of screws that are passed through end holes 10 of each third profiled element 9 and the corresponding holes 8 of said protrusions 7. Figure 3 clearly shows the inner frame fixed to the outer frame, the details of the coupling being shown in enlarged scale in figure 7.

[0017] On this subject, it is evident that the corner holes of the inner frame and of the protrusions of the outer frame are diagonally aligned.

[0018] Continuing with the construction of the gate, the outer frame, with the inner frame that supports the net assembled thereto, is associated with a tubular post element 3 (the right tubular post element in figure 2) by virtue of two hinge elements, generally designated by the reference numeral 11, that are substantially L-shaped with a partially threaded longer arm of the L, as designated by the reference numeral 12.

[0019] In order to accommodate the long arm of the hinge elements 11, the right tubular post element is provided respectively with upper and lower through holes 13. In particular, to assemble the set of frames to the tubular post 3, so that it can swing or open and close, the short arm of the L-shape of the hinge elements 11 is inserted in eyelet elements 14 that are rigidly coupled to the sleeves 6, whereas the respective long arm of the hinge-like elements, with its threaded portion 12, is inserted in said holes 13 so that the hinge elements are orientated as shown specifically in figure 2 and precisely so that the L-shaped portion of the upper hinge element 11 is directed downward and the L-shaped portion of the lower hinge element 11 is directed upward and is substantially vertically aligned with the L-shaped portion of the upper hinge element.

[0020] In this manner it is evident that the set of two frames that supports for example the metal net can be easily made to oscillate about the hinge elements 11 after fixing them, by means of respective nuts, to the right post element 3; said nuts engage the threaded portions 12 of said hinge elements. In particular, it is possible to use two of said fixing nuts, generally designated by the reference numeral 20, one on the outside and one on the inside of the tubular post 3.

[0021] At this point, in order to complete the gate, the vertical tubular element 5 is associated with the left post 3 by virtue of two mutually articulated double-bracket assemblies which are generally designated by the reference numeral 21.

[0022] More specifically, said double-bracket elements comprise a portion 22 that has a generally annular configuration and can be detachably engaged, for example by virtue of respective screw-and-nut sets, to an additional bracket portion 23 that is substantially U-shaped; said double-bracket elements are arranged respectively in an upper position and in a lower position.

[0023] Accordingly, the annular elements 22 engage the profiled element 5 while the U-shaped elements 23 engage the post 3. In particular, the lower one of these two bracket elements 23 can be screwed in a fixed manner, whereas the upper one can accommodate closing padlock means 30 to lock the gate.

[0024] In relation to this, as shown in dashed lines in figure 3, it can be seen that the U-shaped portion 23 of the double bracket can be made to swing upwards when one wishes to open the gate, by rotating it about the already described hinges 11.

[0025] Figure 8 illustrates another embodiment of the gate that can be obtained with the kit of elements according to the invention, which differs from the preceding embodiment mainly due to the fact that instead of the net there are equidistant bars 50 which are also made of flat metallic profiled elements and can be engaged in corresponding seats of the strip-like elements 9 which are not specifically shown.

[0026] From the above description it is evident that the invention fully achieves the intended aim and objects.

[0027] In particular, a sturdy gate has been provided that is easy to assemble by virtue of the fact that the tubular profiled elements and the flat ones are respectively mutually identical and can in particular be erected even by a non-expert user and can be sold at a particularly low cost in department stores and/or the like and easily transported in cars.

[0028] The invention as described is naturally susceptible to numerous modifications and variations.

[0029] For example, the materials employed to produce the gate according to the invention may be any according to the requirements, although the best results have been obtained by using profiled elements.

[0030] The contingent shapes and dimensions of the gate according to the invention may also vary within the scope of the concept of said invention.

[0031] Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the scope of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims

1. Set of easily transportable and connectable modular elements including metal profiled elements and elements for their mutual connection, particularly for forming a modular gate that has high-level mechanical strength characteristics, characterized in that it comprises: two first tubular profiled elements (3) which are provided in order to form outer supporting post tubes of said gate being adapted to be firmly engaged in the ground in upright position; four second tubular profiled elements (5) and associated mutual connection means (6) to detachably mutually couple said four second tubular profiled elements in order to form a first outer frame; means (11) for the oscillating coupling of said first outer frame to one of said two supporting posts; and four third profiled elements (9) and associated mutual connection means (7) which are adapted to detachably couple said third profiled elements (6,7) and said second tubular elements (5) to form a second internal frame for supporting barrier means (R).

2. Set according to claim 1, characterized in that said second tubular profiled elements (5) are respectively mutually identical and said third profiled elements (9) are respectively mutually identical.

3. Set according to claims 1 and 3, characterized in that said third profiled elements (9) are constituted by substantially strip-like flat elongated metal profiled elements.

4. Set according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said four second tubular elements (5) form a substantially rectangular outer frame, said mutual connection means (6) detachably interconnecting each pair of said second tubular elements (5) at each corner of said rectangle, each one being constituted by a metal tubular elbow at the curved portion whereof a monolithically formed rigid protrusion (7) is provided that includes a respective through hole (8), said rigid protrusions (7) extending substantially towards the inside of said tubular elbows (6), the through holes (8) of said protrusions (7) being arranged in pairs along a same diagonal of said rectangle when said outer frame is assembled.

5. Set according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said oscillating means (11) for the coupling of said outer frame to said two post tubes include two substantially L-shaped hinge elements (11), the longer side (12) of the L being partially threaded and being insertable through a respective hole (13) formed respectively in an upper region and in a lower region through one of said post tubes (3), the short sides of the L being detachably insertable in respective upper and lower eyelet elements (14) that are associated with respective tubular elbows (6), the short arm of the L of the lower hinge element (11) being directed upward and substantially vertically aligned with the short arm of the L, which is directed downwards, of the upper hinge element (11).

6. Set according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said internal frame is detachably but rigidly associated with said outer frame by virtue of nut-and-bolt sets the bolts whereof pass through corner holes (10) of said flat tubular elements (9) of said inner frame and said holes (8) of the protrusions (7) of said tubular elbows (6).

7. Set according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that respective double-bracket elements (21) are respectively detachably associable, by means of screws and bolts, with a second tubular element (5), each double-bracket element (21) having an annular bracket portion (22) for engagement with each one of said second tubular elements (5) and a substantially U-shaped bracket portion (23) that can oscillate with respect to the other bracket portion (22), for detachable engagement with a said tubular post element (3).

8. Set according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said barrier means are constituted by a metal net (R).

9. Set according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said barrier means are constituted by multiple equidistant parallel metal bars (50).

10. Gate formed by means of a set of modular elements as defined in the claims 1 to 9.

Drawing