GB2351756A - Clip for trellis assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

A clip for joining two trellis panels together comprises a base portion (11) from which two spaced-apart receptacle-receiving portions (R1, R2) project, the said receiving portions being arranged to engage elongate members of respective trellis panels. Preferably, the base is provided with a hinge (12) and means (18,20) to hold it in a back-to-back relationship.

Description

2351756 TRELLIS ASSEMBLIES The present invention relates to trellis work

and more particularly to arrangements for enabling trellis assemblies to be constructed in a simple manner to a wide variety of desired shapes and sizes.

It is often desired to construct an assembly of trellis work, commonly in the garden or on the patio, to act as a supporting structure for climbing plants. Hitherto, it has usually proved to be a relatively difficult and time consuming matter to construct a trellis assembly of desired shape and rigidity.

I have now devised arrangements for alleviating the difficulties outlined above.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a clip for use in joining two trellis panels together, the clip comprising a base portion from which two spaced-apart receptacle portions project, the latter portions being arranged to engage elongate members of respective trellis panels.

For example, the two receptacles of the clip may receive the edge members of two adjoining trellis panels. The clip may be arranged to receive and hold these edge members such that the two trellis panels are positioned in co-planar, edge-to-edge relationship. The clip may be arranged to receive and hold the edge members of the two trellis panels when the two trellis panels are positioned in respective planes which are inclined to each other, for example at a right angle. Instead or in addition, the clip may be arranged to receive and hold the edge members of the two trellis panels when the two trellis panels are positioned in superposed, parallel planes.

Preferably each of the receptacle portions of the clip comprises a pair of walls projecting from the base portion of the clip, the pair of walls defining a receptacle between them. Preferably the inner faces of the pair of walls are formed with ribs adjacent their outer edges, or the walls are otherwise formed such that the receptacle is of reduced-width adjacent its open end, to ensure that the elongate members of the trellis panels are retained within the respective receptacles.

2 Preferably the pair of walls of each receptacle portion exhibit a degree of resilient flexibility so as to receive the elongate member of each trellis panel in snap-engagement manner.

Preferably the base portion of the clip is formed with a hinge at a point between the two receptacle portions, so that the two receptacle portions may be flexed relative to each other, to suit the desired angle between the two trellis panels to be joined together. In particular, the base portion is preferably flexible to the extent that the receptacle portions become disposed back-to-back: preferably the clip is formed with means to hold it in the latter configuration, for example by means of a peg projecting from one portion of the clip for frictional or interference engagement in a socket in another portion of the clip.

is An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an isometric view of a portion of a trellis work assembly, showing a clip in accordance with the invention being used to join two trellis panels edge-to-edge; FIGURE 2 is an isometric view of the clip from the front side and one end; FIGURE 3 is a similar isometric view of the clip from the rear side and opposite end; FIGURE 4 consists of a series of plan views of the clip, to show the clip in different configurations; and FIGURE 5 is an isometric view of a portion of a trellis work assembly, showing the clip being used to join two trellis panels in superposed relationship.

Referring to Figure 1 of the drawings, there is shown a portion of a trellis work assembly, which includes two trellis panels A,B which are arranged in co-planar relationship and joined edge-to-edge by means of a clip 10. In general, the trellis panels may be of any selected size and a number of such clips may be used, spaced apart along the adjoining edges of the two trellis panels, to join these firmly together. The clip 10 is formed of plastics material by injection moulding: the trellis panels may be of timber, plastics and other convenient materials.

3 As shown in Figure I and more clearly in Figures 2 and 3, the clip 10 comprises a flat, rectangular base portion 11 formed half-way along its length with a section 12 of reduced thickness, to provide a hinge enabling the clip to be folded in half. Adjacent the opposite ends of the base portion 11, the clip is formed with respective, rectangular-section receptacles R1,R2, each defined by a pair of walls e.g. 13,14 which project outwardly from the front face of the base portion 11, at right angles thereto: one wall e.g. 13 of each receptacle lies at the extreme end of the base portion and the other wall e.g. 14 is spaced from this towards the hinge section 12. The inner faces of the two walls e.g. 13,14 of each receptacle are formed with respective ribs e.g. 15,16 extending along the outer edges of these walls: the ribs e.g.

15,16 are inclined or chamfered over their inwardly-facing edges. Finally, a peg 18 projects from the rear face of the base portion 11, adjacent one end thereof, and a corresponding socket 20 is formed in the rear face of the base portion 11, at a corresponding position adjacent the opposite end thereof.

Referring to Figure 4, the hinge section 12 enables the clip 10 to be folded either to a configuration (Figure 4b) in which the two halves of its base portion 11 are at an angle, e.g. at a right angle to the other, or to a configuration (Figure 4c) in which the two halves of its base portion 11 lie in contact with each other back-to-back, with the projecting peg 18 frictionally engaged within the socket 20 in order to hold the clip in this configuration.

Referring again to Figure 1, the clip 10 is shown in its normal or asnoulded configuration, in which the rectangular section edge members of the trellis panels A,B are engaged into the comp 1 eTnentary- shaped receptacles R1,R2 of the clip. The ribs e.g. 15,16 of the respective receptacles R1,R2 act to retain the edge members of the trellis panels.

It will be appreciated that the clip 10 can be folded to the configuration shown in Figure 4b, in order to join two trellis panels which are positioned at 900 to each other. The clip may however be folded to any other desired angle between its two halves. The clip may indeed be folded to the configuration shown in Figure 4c, in which its two halves lie 4 back-to-back, for joining two trellis panels in superposed, parallel relationship, as shown in Figure 5.

A number of such clips may be used to join a number of trellis panels together to construct a trellis work assembly or structure of any desired shape, whether two dimensional or three dimensional. Such an assembly can be constructed quickly and easily yet will result in a firm structure.

Claims (17)

1. Trellis shape panels in different combinations can be set at any angle to produce curving wall like structures or even freestanding pillar-like structures.
2. 2. Trellis shapes can be used to build out and around obstructions, such as tree trunks or soil pipes, by means of folding the male/fernale hinged clip back onto itself, thus enabling a second trellis shape to be placed securely in front or above another.
3. 3. A male and female component lock arrangement on the hinged clip gives rigidity to the structure should the panels be set in line or at right angles to each other.
4. 4. Trellis shapes are fixed to the wall or fence, if required, by means of a central fixing hole moulded into the trellis shape.
5. 5. Using trellis shapes consumers are able to design and build their own individual trellis structures.
6. 6. An individual trellis shape can be replaced in a structure without having to disengage the rest of the shapes in the structure by just unclipping the same from the adjoining trellis shape and refitting a different shape or colour, as required.

   7. Trellis shapes can be used as decoration on a blank wall, for screening purposes or as shop window display additive.

   Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows 1, A clip when used to joint two trellis panels together, the clip comprising a base portion from which two spaced-apart receptacle-receiving portions project, the said portions being arranged to engage elongate members of respective trellis panels.

   2. A clip as claimed in claim 1, wherein the two receptacle-receiving portions are arranged to receive the edge members of two adjoining trellis panels.

   3. A clip as claimed in claim 2, wherein the arrangement is such as to hold the edge members so that the two trellis panels are positioned in co-planar, edge- to-edge relationship.

   4. A clip as claimed in claim 2, wherein the arrangement is such as to hold the edge members so that the two trellis panels are positioned in respective planes which are inclined to each other.

   5. A clip as claimed in claim 4, wherein the panels are perpendicular to each other. 6. A clip, as claimed in any of claims 2-5, wherein the two trellis panels are positioned in superposed, parallel planes.
7. 7, A clip as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein each of the receptacle- receiving portions comprises a pair of walls projecting from the base portion.
8. 8. A clip as claimed in claim 7, wherein the inner faces of a pair of walls are formed with ribs adjacent their outer edges.
9. 9. A clip as claimed in claim 7, wherein the walls are formed such as to exhibit a degree of resilient flexibility.
10. 10. A clip as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the base portion is formed with a hinge at a point between the two receptacle-receiving portions.
11. 11. A clip as claimed in claim 10, wherein the hinge is provided by means of a section of the base portion being of a reduced thickness.
12. 12. A clip as claimed in claim 10 or claim 11, wherein the base portion is flexible to the extent that the receptacle-receiving portions may become disposed in a backto-back relationship.
13. 13. A clip as claimed in claim 12, wherein the clip is formed with means to hold it in the back-to-back relationship.
14. 14. A clip as claimed in claim 13, wherein the means comprise a peg projecting from one portion of the clip for frictional or interference engagement in a socket provided in another portion of the clip.
15. 15. A clip as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the clip is formed of a plastics material.
16. 16. A clip as claimed in any of the preceding claims and substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
17. 17. An arrangement of trellis panels when held together by means of one or more clips as claimed in any of claims 1 - 16.