Patent Application
20170229218
The disclosure relates to coupler devices and more particularly pertains to a new coupler device for coupling an electric fence to a fence post.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising an insulator that may be removably coupled to a fence post. The insulator may engage an electric fence thereby facilitating the electric fence to be retained on the fence post. The insulator is comprised of a resiliently bendable material. Thus, the insulator frictionally engages the fence post thereby facilitating the insulator to be removably retained on the fence post. A pair of clips is coupled to the insulator and each of the clips engages the electric fence.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
The insulator 12 has a first surface 18, a second surface 20 and a peripheral edge 22 extending between the first surface 18 and the second surface 20. The peripheral edge 22 has a first lateral side 24, a second lateral side 26, a top side 28 and a bottom side 30. The first lateral side 24 curves outwardly from a center 32 of the insulator 12 to define a first lobe 34. The second lateral side 26 curves outwardly from the center 32 of the insulator 12 to define a second lobe 36.
The insulator 12 has a first slot 38 extending through the first surface 18 and the second surface 20. The first slot 38 is positioned closer to the top side 28 than the bottom side 30. The insulator 12 has a second slot 40 extending through the first surface 18 and the second surface 20. The second slot 40 is positioned closer to the bottom side 30 than the top side 28. Each of the first slot 38 and the second slot 40 are positioned on a bisecting longitudinal axis of the insulator 12.
The insulator 12 is comprised of a resiliently bendable material. Thus, the insulator 12 is bendable having each of the top side 28 and the bottom side 30 being urged toward each other. The first slot 38 is aligned with the second slot 40 when the insulator 12 is bent. Thus, each of the first slot 38 and the second slot 40 may have the fence post 14 extended therethrough.
Each of the first slot 38 and the second slot 40 has a bounding edge 42. The insulator 12 is biased into a flattened position. The bounding edge 42 of each of the first slot 38 and the second slot 40 frictionally engages the fence post 14. Thus, the insulator 12 is removably retained on the fence post 14.
A pair of clips 44 is provided. Each of the clips 44 is coupled to the insulator 12 and each of the clips 44 engages the electric fence 16. Each of the clips 44 comprises a leg 46 and a foot 48. The foot 48 of each of the clips 44 is coupled to the first surface 18 of the insulator 12. The leg 46 of each of the clips 44 is spaced from the first surface 18 to define a space 50 between the clips 44 and the insulator 12.
Each of the clips 44 is spaced apart from the center 32 of the insulator 12. The leg 46 corresponding to one of the clips 44 is directed toward the top side 28. The leg 46 corresponding to one of the clips 44 is directed toward the bottom side 30. One of the clips 44 is positioned closer to the top side 28 than the bottom side 30. One of the clips 44 is positioned closer to the bottom side 30 than the top side 28.
The space 50 corresponding to each of the clips 44 may have the electric fence 16 positioned therein. Thus, the electric fence 16 is removably coupled to the insulator 12. The electric fence 16 rests on each of the first lobe 34 and the second lobe 36 when the electric fence 16 is removably coupled to the insulator 12. Thus, the insulator 12 orients the electric fence 16 perpendicular to the fence post 14. The insulator 12 is one of a plurality of insulators 52. Each of the plurality of insulators 52 is positioned on an associated one of a plurality of fence posts 14.
In use, the insulator 12 is bent to align the first slot 38 with the second slot 40. The fence post 14 is inserted through each of the first slot 38 and the second slot 40. The insulator 12 is released when the fence post 14 is inserted through each of the first slot 38 and the second slot 40. Thus, the bounding edge 42 corresponding to each of the first slot 38 and the second slot 40 frictionally engages the fence post 14. The electric fence 16 is positioned in the space 50 corresponding to each of the clips 44. The above described process is repeated on each of the plurality of insulators 52.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
