POST, KIT AND RAILING SYSTEM INCLUDING THE SAME

BACKGROUND

Railing systems are required by many building codes around decks, porches, and balconies that are at a certain height above the surrounding grade. Such railing systems require posts that can function as straight posts, corner posts, and end posts, which may require maintaining a rather large inventory. Furthermore, railing systems may be used with glass panels, cables, privacy boards, mesh, and the like depending on consumer preference and in some instances different posts are required to facilitate attachment to the different style panel. Finally, conventional railing systems with glass panels require an installation process whereby the glass is lifted above the top end of the height and then slid downwardly into the post, which renders the glass susceptible to breaking. Thus, a need exists for a railing system which includes a post having the capability of modular use to reduce required inventories and addresses the other noted pitfalls.

SUMMARY

In one aspect, the invention may be a post system comprising: a structural post extending along a longitudinal axis from a bottom end to a top end, the bottom end of the structural post configured to be mounted to a support structure so that the structural post extends upright from the support structure; a plurality of corner covers configured to be coupled to the structural post to form a configurable post assembly in which the plurality of corner covers form longitudinal corner sections of the configurable post assembly and a longitudinal gap exists between adjacent ones of the plurality of the corner covers; and a plurality of cover plates configured to be coupled to the configurable post assembly to fill in selected ones of the longitudinal gaps so that remaining ones of the longitudinal gaps can be used for coupling railing infills to the configurable post assembly to form any one of a corner post, an end post, or a straight post in a railing system.

In another aspect, the invention may be a post system comprising: a structural post extending along a longitudinal axis from a bottom end to a top end, the bottom end of the structural post configured to be mounted to a support structure so that the structural post extends upright from the support structure; at least one infill retention member comprising: a first portion configured to be coupled to the structural post; and a channel bar having a longitudinal channel cavity configured to receive an edge portion of a glass panel railing infill; an insert configured to be inserted into the longitudinal channel cavity of the channel bar between a first portion of the channel bar and the glass panel railing infill to exert a compression force on the edge portion of the glass panel railing infill in combination with a second portion of the channel bar.

In yet another aspect, the invention may be a post system comprising: a structural post extending along a longitudinal axis from a bottom end to a top end, the bottom end of the structural post configured to be mounted to a support structure so that the structural post extends upright from the support structure; and a plurality of corner covers configured to be slidably coupled to the structural post to form a post assembly in which the plurality of corner covers form longitudinal corner sections of the post assembly.

In still another aspect, the invention may be a method of forming a railing section comprising: (a) horizontally moving a glass panel railing infill into a railing gap between mounted first and second structural posts; (b) lowering a first infill retention member to: (1) slidably couple a first portion of the first infill retention member to the first structural post; and (2) slidably receive a first edge portion of the glass panel railing infill in a second portion of the first infill retention member; (c) lowering a second infill retention member to: (1) slidably couple a first portion of the second infill retention member to the second structural post; and (2) slidably receive a second edge portion of the glass panel railing infill in a second portion of the second infill retention member; (d) pressing a first insert into a first inboard gap formed between the second portion of the first infill retention member and the first edge portion of the glass panel railing insert to retain the first edge portion of the glass panel railing within the second portion of the first infill retention member via a friction fit; and (c) pressing a second insert into a second inboard gap formed between the second portion of the second infill retention member and the second edge portion of the glass panel railing insert to retain the second edge portion of the glass panel railing within the second portion of the second infill retention member via a friction fit.

In a further aspect, the invention may be a railing system comprising: a structural post extending along a longitudinal axis from a bottom end to a top end, the bottom end of the structural post configured to be mounted to a support structure so that the structural post extends upright from the support structure; a plurality of corner covers configured to be coupled to the structural post to form a post assembly in which the plurality of corner covers form longitudinal corner sections of the post assembly and a longitudinal gap exists between adjacent ones of the plurality of the corner covers; a plurality of slats having end portions configured to be slidably nested within the longitudinal gap in a vertical stack; and a plurality of slat spacers configured to be slidably coupled to the post assembly within the longitudinal gaps between adjacent ones of the plurality of slats in the vertical stack to maintain a horizontal gap between the adjacent ones of the plurality of slats in the vertical stack.

In a still further aspect, the invention may be a railing system comprising: a post assembly comprising: a structural post extending along a longitudinal axis from a bottom end to a top end, the bottom end of the structural post configured to be mounted to a support structure so that the structural post extends upright from the support structure; a plurality of corner covers either integrally formed with or configured to be coupled to the structural post to form longitudinal corner sections of the post assembly, wherein a longitudinal gap exists between adjacent ones of the plurality of the corner covers; a plurality of cable infill retention plates configured to be coupled to the post assembly in selected ones of the longitudinal gaps; a plurality of cable infills, each of the plurality of cable infills comprising: a cable having a first end and a second end; a first cable retention assembly configured to be coupled to one of the plurality of cable infill retention plates, the first cable retention assembly located at a first end of the cable, the first cable retention assembly comprising a first resilient element configured to exert a tensioning force on the cable when in a biased state.

In another aspect, the invention may be a post system having a first structural post extending along a first longitudinal axis from a bottom end to a top end, the bottom end of the first structural post configured to be mounted to a support structure so that the first structural post extends upright from the support structure. The post system also has a second structural post extending along a second longitudinal axis from a bottom end to a top end, the bottom end of the second structural post configured to be mounted to the support structure so that the second structural post extends upright from the support structure. A first cable infill extends from the first structural post to the second structural post. A mid-span bar has a first fitting coupled to the first cable infill and a support member engaging the first fitting, the support member spaced and isolated from the support structure.

In yet another aspect, the invention may be a method of installing a railing system. First, a first cable infill is coupled to first and second structural posts, wherein the first and second structural posts extend along first and second longitudinal axes from a bottom end to a top end, and wherein the bottom ends of the first and second structural posts are configured to be mounted to a support structure so that the first and second structural posts extend upright from the support structure. Second, a first fitting of a mid-span bar is joined with a support member of the mid-span bar, the first fitting non-rotatable with respect to the support member when joined with the support member. Third, the first cable infill is engaged with the first fitting. Fourth, the first cable infill is tensioned to apply a first tensioning force to the first cable infill, the first fitting retained by the first cable infill when the first tensioning force is applied to the first cable infill.

In another aspect, the invention may be a railing system. The system has a first structural post extending along a first longitudinal axis from a bottom end to a top end, the bottom end of the first structural post configured to be mounted to a support structure so that the first structural post extends upright from the support structure. The system further incorporates a second structural post extending along a second longitudinal axis from a bottom end to a top end, the bottom end of the second structural post configured to be mounted to a support structure so that the second structural post extends upright from the support structure. A first cable infill extends from the first structural post to the second structural post. A second cable infill extends from the first structural post to the second structural post. A mid-span bar has a first fitting coupled to the first cable infill, a second fitting coupled to the second cable infill, and a support member engaging the first and second fittings and suspended from the support structure by the first and second cable infills.

Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The features of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the following drawings, where like elements are labeled similarly, and in which:

FIG. 1 is perspective view of a railing system mounted to a support structure in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a railing section of the railing system of FIG. 1 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line V-V of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6A is an exploded view of a bottom portion of a post system of the railing system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7A is a perspective view of a structural post of a post system of the railing system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII of FIG. 7A;

FIG. 8A is a perspective view of a corner cover of a post system of the railing system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8B is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII of FIG. 8A;

FIG. 9A is a perspective view of a cover plate of a post system of the railing system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 9B is a cross-sectional view taken along line IX-IX of FIG. 9A;

FIGS. 10A and 10B illustrate a manner of coupling the corner covers of FIG. 8A to the structural post of FIG. 7A to form a configurable post assembly;

FIG. 10C is a cross-sectional view taken along line XC-XC of FIG. 10B;

FIGS. 10D and 10E illustrate a manner of coupling the cover plates of FIG. 9A to the configurable post assembly of FIG. 10B;

FIG. 10F is a cross-sectional view taken along line XF-XF of FIG. 10E;

FIG. 11A is a perspective view of an infill retention member of the post system of the railing system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 11B is a cross-sectional view taken along line XI-XI of FIG. 11A;

FIG. 12A is a perspective view of an insert of the post system of the railing system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 12B is a cross-sectional view taken along line XII-XII of FIG. 12A;

FIG. 13A is a view of two configurable post assemblies and a glass panel railing infill in position to be coupled to the post assemblies;

FIG. 13B is a cross-sectional view taken along line XIIIB-XIIIB of FIG. 13A;

FIG. 13C is a cross-sectional view taken along line XIIIC-XIIIC of FIG. 13A;

FIG. 13D is a view of illustrating the glass panel railing infill extending between the two configurable post assemblies from FIG. 13A;

FIG. 13E is a cross-sectional view taken along line XIIIE-XIIIE of FIG. 13D;

FIG. 13F is a view illustrating coupling an infill retention member to each of the two configurable post assemblies;

FIG. 13G is a view illustrating the infill retention members in their coupled state and illustrating an insert being coupled thereto;

FIG. 13H is a cross-sectional view taken along line XIIIH-XIIIH of FIG. 13G;

FIG. 13I is a view illustrating a final corner cover being attached to the structural post;

FIG. 13J is a cross-sectional view taken along line XIIIJ-XIIIJ of FIG. 13I;

FIG. 13K is a view illustrating a top cover being coupled to a top end of the structural post;

FIG. 13L is a cross-sectional view taken along line XIIIL-XIIIL of FIG. 13K; and

FIG. 13M is a view of the completely assembled post system with two configurable post assemblies positioned in spaced relation with one glass panel railing infill extending therebetween;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a railing system on a support structure in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 15 is a partial exploded view of the railing system of FIG. 14;

FIG. 15A is a front view of a slat spacer of the railing system of FIG. 14;

FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XVI-XVI of FIG. 14;

FIGS. 17A-E illustrate a manner of assembling the railing system of FIG. 14 by coupling slat spacers and slats to a post assembly thereof;

FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XVIII-SVIII of FIG. 17E;

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a railing system on a support structure in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 20 is an exploded view of a portion of the railing system of FIG. 19;

FIG. 21 is a close-up view of area XXI of FIG. 20;

FIG. 22 is a perspective view of a cable infill of the railing system of FIG. 19;

FIG. 23 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XXIII-XXIII of FIG. 19;

FIG. 23A is a portion of the cross-sectional view of FIG. 23 in accordance with an alternative embodiment;

FIG. 24A-H illustrate a method of assembling the railing system of FIG. 19;

FIG. 25 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XXV-XXV of FIG. 24H;

FIG. 26 is a close-up view of area XXVI of FIG. 25;

FIG. 27 is a perspective view of a railing system on a support structure in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 28 is a close-up perspective view of a portion of the railing system of FIG. 19 including a mid-span bar;

FIG. 29 is a close-up view of area XXIX of FIG. 28;

FIG. 30 is an exploded view of the area XXIX of FIG. 28;

FIG. 31 is a perspective view of a rod of the mid-span bar as used in the railing system of FIG. 27;

FIG. 32 is a close-up view of area XXXII of FIG. 31;

FIG. 33A is a perspective view of a fitting of the mid-span bar as used in the railing system of FIG. 27;

FIG. 33B is a top view of the fitting;

FIG. 33C is a right-side view of the fitting;

FIG. 33D is a left-side view of the fitting;

FIG. 33E is a cross-section view of the fitting taken along line XXXIIIE-XXXIIIE of FIG. 33A;

FIG. 34A-D illustrate a method of assembling the mid-span bar within the railing system of FIG. 27;

FIG. 35 is a cross-section view taken along line XXXV-XXXV of FIG. 29;

FIG. 36 is a perspective view of a railing system on a support structure in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 37 is a close-up perspective view of a portion of the railing system of FIG. 19 including a mid-span bar;

FIG. 38 is a close-up view of area XXXIIX of FIG. 37;

FIG. 39 is an exploded view of the area XXXIIX of FIG. 37;

FIG. 40A is a perspective view of a first portion of a fitting of the mid-span bar as used in the railing system of FIG. 36;

FIG. 40B is a bottom rear perspective view of the first portion of the fitting;

FIG. 40C is a cross-section view of the first portion of the fitting taken along line XLC-XLC of FIG. 40A;

FIG. 41A is a perspective view of a second portion of a fitting of the mid-span bar as used in the railing system of FIG. 36;

FIG. 41B is a bottom rear perspective view of the second portion of the fitting;

FIG. 41C is a cross-section view of the second portion of the fitting taken along line XLIC-XLIC;

FIG. 42A-C are views of the fitting illustrating the repositioning feature; and

FIG. 43 is a cross-section view taken along line XLIII-XLIII of FIG. 38.

All drawings are schematic and not necessarily to scale. Parts given a reference numerical designation in one figure may be considered to be the same parts where they appear in other figures without a numerical designation for brevity unless specifically labeled with a different part number and described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The features and benefits of the invention are illustrated and described herein by reference to exemplary (“example”) embodiments. This description of exemplary embodiments is intended to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are to be considered part of the entire written description. Accordingly, the disclosure expressly should not be limited to such exemplary embodiments illustrating some possible non-limiting combination of features that may exist alone or in other combinations of features.

In the description of embodiments disclosed herein, any reference to direction or orientation is merely intended for convenience of description and is not intended in any way to limit the scope of the present invention. Relative terms such as “lower,” “upper,” “horizontal,” “vertical,”, “above,” “below,” “up,” “down,” “top” and “bottom” as well as derivative thereof (e.g., “horizontally,” “downwardly,” “upwardly,” etc.) should be construed to refer to the orientation as then described or as shown in the drawing under discussion. These relative terms are for convenience of description only and do not require that the apparatus be constructed or operated in a particular orientation. Terms such as “attached,” “affixed,” “connected,” “coupled,” “interconnected,” and similar refer to a relationship wherein structures are secured or attached to one another either directly or indirectly through intervening structures, as well as both movable or rigid attachments or relationships, unless expressly described otherwise.

As used throughout, any ranges disclosed herein are used as shorthand for describing each and every value that is within the range. Any value within the range can be selected as the terminus of the range.

Referring first to FIG. 1, a railing system 10 is illustrated installed on a support structure 20. The support structure 20 may be a deck, a patio, a balcony, a staircase, or any other support structure or surface on which it is desired to have a railing for safety, aesthetics, or for any other reason. The railing system 10 may comprise a plurality of post systems 100 and a plurality of railing infills 30. Specifically, the post systems 100 may be positioned along the support structure 20 in a spaced apart manner, and the railing infills 30 may be connected to the post systems 100 and extend between adjacently positioned ones of the post systems 100. The railing infills 30 may form a barrier to prevent a user from falling off of the support structure 20 and may also form a support so that a user can lean on the railing infill 30. The railing infills 30 are depicted in FIG. 1 as being glass panels, but alternatives may be used in other embodiments such as slats, cables, opaque panels, translucent panels, transparent panels, or the like. Various different types of the railing infills 30 may be used with the post systems 100.

Referring to FIG. 2, an exploded view of the post system 100 is provided. The post system 100 comprises several distinct components which may be coupled together in various different configurations as needed for a particular end use. Thus, depending on which railing infill is to be used and/or depending on whether the post system 100 is going to function as a corner post, an end post, or a straight post in the railing system, different ones of the components may be used or not used. Generally, the post system 100 may comprise a structural post 200 that extends along a longitudinal axis A-A from a bottom end 201 to a top end 202, a plurality of corner covers 300 that are configured to be coupled to the structural post 200 to form a configurable post assembly, and a plurality of cover plates 400 that are configured to be coupled to the configurable post assembly to fill in spaces between the corner covers 300. The corner covers 300 and the cover plates 400 may be detachably coupled to the structural post 200 as described in greater detail below. In an alternative embodiment, the corner covers 300 and/or the cover plates 400 may be integrally formed with the structural post 200. In the exemplified embodiment, there are four of the corner covers 300 and three of the cover plates 400. However, the exact number of the cover plates 400 used depends on whether the post system 100 is ultimately used as a corner post, an end post, or a straight post. Thus, during assembly, the installer may determine the exact number of corner covers 300 and/or cover plates 400 to use for a particular installation. Because the corner covers 300 and cover plates 400 may not be integral with the structural post 200 and because the corner covers 300 and the cover plates 400 may be capable of being repetitively attached to and detached from the structural posts 200, modularity in the assembly is possible. As discussed below, when the post system 100 is used as a corner post or a straight post, there may only be two of the cover plates 400 used, leaving two spaces open to attach railing infills, whereas when the post system 100 is used as an end post, there may be three of the cover plates 400 used, leaving one space open to attach a railing infill. The number of corner covers 300 and cover plates 400 used may vary depending on the end structure of the post system 100.

The post system 100 may further comprise a post cover and a post cap 455 that are configured to be coupled to the top end 202 of the structural post 200 to axially lock the corner covers 300 and the cover plates 400 in place so that they cannot be moved axially relative to the structural post 200. Furthermore, in accordance with the railing system 10 whereby the railing infill 30 is a glass panel railing infill, the post system 100 may further comprise at least one infill retention member 500 and at least one insert 700. The infill retention member 500 and the insert 700 may, in an embodiment, only be used when the railing infill is the glass panel railing infill 30, and in some embodiments alternative styles of retention members may be used for alternative styles of railing infills. The number of the infill retention members 500 and the inserts 550 needed for a particular post system 100 may be dictated by the number of railing infills which are configured to be coupled to the post system 100. In FIG. 2, there is one of the glass panel railing infills 30, and thus there is one infill retention member 500 and one insert 700. If there were two glass panel railing infills 30 (e.g., when the post system 100 is used as a straight post or a corner post) then the post system 100 may include two of the infill retention members 500 and two of the inserts 550. The post system 100 may comprise at least one vertical spacer 150. The vertical spacer 150 may ensure that the glass panel railing infill 30 is spaced above the support structure 20. That is, a bottom edge of the glass panel railing infill 30 may rest atop of a top edge of the vertical spacer 150 to dictate the spacing between the bottom end of the glass panel railing infill 30 and the support structure 20. The post system 100 may further include a post base that facilitates the attachment of the post system 100 to the support structure, and this is shown and described with reference to FIGS. 6A and 6B.

The post system 200 may be sold as a kit which includes the structural post 200, a plurality of the corner covers 300, and a plurality of the cover plates 400. The kit may also include one or more of the infill retention members 500, one or more of the inserts 550, and one or more of the vertical spacers 150. Various combinations of different numbers of each component may be included as part of a kit, depending on the end configuration of the railing system. Thus, in an embodiment, the invention may be directed to a kit of parts for the post system 100 whereby the parts are not assembled, but are configured to be assembled to form the post system 100 and, ultimately, the railing system 10.

Referring now to FIGS. 3-5 in sequence, cross-sections are depicted taken through three different ones of the post systems 100 of FIG. 1 (with the post systems referenced by numerals 100a, 100b, and 100c). FIG. 3 illustrates a post system 100a which forms an end post in that only one of the glass panel railing infills 30 (which could be any of the other types of railing infills as described herein) is coupled thereto. The post system 100a comprises the structural post 200, four of the corner covers 300, and three of the cover plates 400. The corner covers 300 each forms a longitudinal corner section of the configurable post assembly. Furthermore, a longitudinal gap 440 exists between adjacent ones of the corner covers 300. That is, the corner covers 300 extend the longitudinal length of the structural post 100a and the adjacent corner covers 300 are spaced apart by one of the longitudinal gaps 440 which also extends the length of the structural post 100a. In this embodiment, one of the cover plates 400 is positioned in three out of the four longitudinal gaps 440. The cover plates 400 are configured to be coupled to the structural post 200 and/or to the corner covers 300 to fill in selected ones of the longitudinal gaps 440, depending on the end configuration of the post system 100a. In this embodiment, the remaining longitudinal gap 440 is not filled by one of the corner covers 300, instead leaving it free to accept one of the infill retention members 500, one of the inserts 550, and an edge portion of one of the glass panel railing infills 30. If multiple of the longitudinal gaps 440 remain free, open, ad not filled by one of the cover plates 400, then multiple of the infill retention members 500, inserts 550, and glass panel railing infills 30 may be attached thereto.

FIG. 4 illustrates a post system 100b which forms a corner post in that two glass panel railing infills 30 (which could be any of the other types of railing infills as described herein) are coupled thereto and oriented perpendicularly relative to one another. Thus, the post system 100b comprises the structural post 200, four of the corner covers 300, and two of the cover plates 400, with the remaining two longitudinal gaps 440 not filled by the cover plates 400. The two longitudinal gaps 440 that are not filled by the cover plates 400 are adjacent to one another. In this context, this means that the two free longitudinal gaps 440 are spaced 90° apart from one another. The structural post 200 further comprises two of the infill retention members 500 and two of the inserts 550, with each set of one infill retention member 500 and one insert 700 positioned within one of the longitudinal gaps 440 that does not have one of the cover plates 400 positioned therein. Finally, an edge portion of one of the glass panel railing infills 30 is positioned in each of the longitudinal gaps 440 containing one of the infill retention members 500 and one of the inserts 550. As noted above, in this embodiment the two glass panel railing infills 30 are oriented perpendicularly to one another because the post system 100b is functioning as a corner post.

FIG. 5 illustrates a post system 100c which forms a straight post in that two glass panel railing infills 30 are coupled thereto and positioned in plane with one another. That is, the two glass panel railing infills 30 (which could be any other type of railing infill as described herein) extend from opposite sides of the post system 100c in opposite directions, but the two glass panel railing infills 30 lie in the same plane. The post system 100c comprises the structural post 200, four of the corner covers 300, and two of the cover plates 400, with the remaining two longitudinal gaps 440 not filled by the cover plates 400. The two longitudinal gaps 440 that are not filled by the cover plates 400 are positioned opposite one another, for example 180º apart from one another. The structural post 200 further comprises two of the infill retention members 500 and two of the inserts 550, with each set of one infill retention member 500 and one insert 700 positioned within one of the longitudinal gaps 440 that does not have one of the cover plates 400 positioned therein. Finally, an edge portion of one of the glass panel railing infills 30 is positioned in each of the longitudinal gaps 440 containing one of the infill retention members 500 and one of the inserts 550. As noted above, in this embodiment the two glass panel railing infills 30 are lie in the same plane because the post system 100c is functioning as a straight post.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 6A and 6B, a post base 600 of the post system 100 will be described. As mentioned above, the post base 600 comprises the components which facilitate the attachment of the structural post 200 to the support structure 20. The post basc 600 may comprise a first plate 610 comprising a first plurality of through-holes 611 and a second plurality of through-holes 612, a second plate 620 comprising a plurality of through-holes 621, a first set of fasteners 613 configured to couple the first plate 610 to the bottom end 201 of the structural post 200, and a second set of fasteners 622 configured to couple the first plate 610 to the second plate 620. The structural post 200 will be described in greater detail below, but briefly the structural post 200 comprises a central hub section 205 and a plurality of connection arms 210 extending radially outward from the central hub section 205. The connection arms 210 may comprise a distal portion 211, which may comprise a C-shaped transverse cross-sectional profile.

The set of first fasteners 613 are configured to extend through the first set of through-holes 611 in the first plate 610 and into an opening 212 in the distal portion 211 of one of the connection arms 210 along the bottom end 201 of the structural post 200 to couple the first plate 610 to the bottom end 201 of the structural post 200. The second set of through-holes 612 in the first plate 610 are positioned outward of the first set of through-holes 611 so that the second set of through-holes 612 are located closer to the peripheral edge of the first plate 610 than the first set of through-holes 611. The second set of fasteners 622 are configured to extend through the second set of through-holes 612 of the first plate 610, through the support structure 20, and then through the plurality of through-holes 621 in the second plate 620 to attach the first and second plates 610, 620 together, with the support structure 20 being positioned in a space between the first and second plates 610, 620. Bolts 623 may be attached to distal ends of the second set of fasteners 622 to lock the second set of fasteners 622 in place. Thus, when all fastened together, the first plate 610 abuts a top surface 21 of the support structure 20 and the second plate 620 abuts a bottom surface 22 of the support structure 20. The first and second plates 610, 620 are attached through the support structure 20 via the fasteners 622. Thus, the post base 600 is configured to be coupled to the bottom end 201 of the structural post 200, which may prevent axial movement between the structural post 200 and any of the corner covers 300 which are coupled thereto. The post base 600 may further be configured to couple the post system 100 to the support structure 20.

Referring to FIGS. 7A and 7B, the structural post 200 will be described in greater detail. As noted previously, the structural post 200 extends along the longitudinal axis A-A from the bottom end 201 to the top end 202. The structural post 200 is configured to be mounted to the support structure 20 so that the structural post 200 extends upright/vertically from the support structure 20. The structural post 200 may be configured to extend vertically from the support structure 20 when mounted thereto. The structural post 200 may be extruded. As such, the structural post 200 may have a substantially constant transverse cross-sectional profile, such as depicted in FIG. 7B. This may not be required in all embodiments and the transverse cross-sectional profile may not be constant but could result in discontinuous ribs, walls, etc. in the longitudinal/axial direction with breaks therealong. The structural post 200 may be extruded from metal, such as for example aluminum, although the invention is not to be so limited and other materials may be used including other metals, hard plastics, or the like. The structural post 200 may be formed by other manufacturing techniques, such as additive manufacturing, for example.

As noted above, the structural post 200 comprises the central hub section 205 and the plurality of connection arms 210. The central hub section 205 and the connection arms 210 may be integrally connected so that the structural post 200 is a monolithic component. The central hub section 205 and the plurality of connection arms 210 may be elongated along the longitudinal axis A-A. The plurality of connection arms 210 may extend radially outward from the central hub section 205. The plurality of connection arms 210 may be arranged in an angularly equi-spaced manner about the longitudinal axis A-A. Each of the connection arms 210 comprises a distal portion 211 which may have a C-shaped cross-sectional profile. The C-shaped cross-sectional profile may define an opening that may receive a fastener such as for example for attaching the post base to the structural post 200 as described above. In the exemplified embodiment, there are four of the connection arms 210 such that the structural post 200 has an X-shaped cross-sectional profile, however the specific number of connection arms 210 may be modified in alternative embodiments.

The central hub section 205 may have a shape of a square with rounded, or more specifically concave sides. However, the invention is not to be so limited and the shape of the central hub section 205 may be modified from that which is depicted in the drawings. The central hub section 205 may be round, square, other polygonal shapes, or the like in alternative embodiments. The central hub section 205 may comprise a central opening 206 that extends the length of the structural post 200. The central opening 206 may be configured to receive a fastener for purposes of facilitating the attachment of a base or cap unit to the structural post 200. The central opening 206 could be omitted in alternative embodiments.

Each of the connection arms 210 may extend from one of the corners of the central hub section 205. In alternative embodiments, each of the connection arms 210 may extend from one of the sides of the central hub section 205. As noted previously, the connection arms 210 may extend radially outward from the central hub section 205 relative to the longitudinal axis A-A. The connection arms 210 and all of the features associated therewith as described herein may extend the full length of the structural post 200. In some embodiments, the connection arms 210 and one or more of its features as described herein may be discontinuous in the axial direction with breaks therealong without detracting from the functions as described herein. The connection arms 210 may each be identical to one another.

One of the connection arms 210 will be described henceforth, it being understood that all of the connection arms 210 may have an identical structure. The connection arms 210 may comprise a spine 213 that extends radially from the central hub section 205 with the spine 213 having a first side 214 and a second side 215 opposite the first side 214. Each of the first and second sides 214, 215 extends radially from the central hub section 205. Each of the spines 213 may extend from the central hub section 205 along an axis (or more specifically a plane) so that the axes (or planes) of the spines 213 intersect at a center of the structural post 200.

The connection arms 210 may further comprise a first arm rib 216 protruding outwardly from the first side 214 of the spine 213 and a second arm rib 217 protruding outwardly from the second side 215 of the spine 213 with the first and second arm ribs 216, 217 being located at the same axial position along the spine 213. The first and second arm ribs 216, 217 may be oriented perpendicularly/orthogonal relative to one another. The first and second arm ribs 216, 217 may extend along the full length of the structural post 200. The first and second arm ribs 216, 217 may extend at an angle and rearwardly from the spine 213 (back towards the central hub section 205 and away from the distal portion 211). The connection arms 210 may comprise a first wall 218 protruding outwardly from the first side 214 of the spine 213 and a second wall 219 protruding outwardly from the second side 215 of the spine 213. The first and second walls 218, 219 may be located at the same axial position along the spine 213. The first and second walls 218, 219 may be oriented perpendicular/orthogonal relative to one another. The first and second walls 218, 219 may extend along the full length of the structural post 200. The first and second walls 218, 219 may extend at an angle and rearwardly from the spine 213 (back towards the central hub section 205 and away from the distal portion 211). The connection arms 210 may comprise a third wall 222 protruding outwardly from the first side 214 of the spine 213 and a fourth wall 223 protruding outwardly from the second side 215 of the spine 213. The third and fourth walls 222, 223 may be orthogonal/perpendicular to one another. The third and fourth walls 222, 223 may extend along the full length of the structural post 200. The third and fourth walls 222, 223 may extend at an angle and rearwardly from the spine 213 (back towards the central hub section 205 and away from the distal portion 211). The terms perpendicular/orthogonal as used with reference to the features mentioned in this paragraph may refer to the respective rib or wall extending along an axis, and the axes of the two ribs or walls being orthogonal or perpendicular to one another. Moreover, while the relationship is described as perpendicular or orthogonal, in alternative embodiments other angular relationships between the ribs and walls may be used without affecting function.

The first and second walls 218, 219 may extend from the spine 213 a first distance D1. The first and second arm ribs 216, 217 may extend from the spine 213 a second distance D2. The third and fourth walls 222, 223 may extend from the spine 213 a third distance D3. The first distance D1 may be greater than each of the second and third distances D2, D3. Furthermore, the first and second arm ribs 216, 217 may extend from the C-shaped distal portion 211 of the connection arms 210, which may be considered to form part of the spine 213. Each of the first and second arm ribs 216, 217 and the first, second, third, and fourth walls 218, 219, 222, 223 may extend from the spine 213 at an acute angle and may extend in a direction towards the central hub section 205. More specifically, the first and second arm ribs 216, 217 and the first, second, third, and fourth walls 218, 219, 222, 223 may extend towards one of the adjacently located connection arms 210.

The first wall 218 may be oriented parallel to and spaced apart from the first arm rib 216 to form a first retaining groove 220 between the first wall 218 and the first arm rib 216. The second wall 219 may be oriented parallel to and spaced apart from the second arm rib 217 to form a second retaining groove 221 between the second wall 219 and the second arm rib 217. The third wall 222 may be parallel to and spaced apart from the first wall 218 to form a first channel 224 between the first and third walls 218, 222. The second wall 223 may be parallel to and spaced apart from the second wall 219 to form a second channel 225 between the second and fourth walls 219, 223. While the term parallel is described here, the relationship may be substantially parallel including being up to 5° offset from parallel in some embodiments. The first and second retaining grooves 220, 221 and the first and second channels 224, 225 may extend the full length of the structural post 200 from the bottom end 201 to the top end 202. The first and second retaining grooves 220, 221 and the first and second channels 224, 225 may be open at the top and/or bottom ends 201, 202 of the structural post 200. The first and second retaining grooves 220, 221 may be configured to interact or engage with features of the corner covers 300 to facilitate the coupling of the corner covers 300 to the structural post 200, as discussed below. The first and second channels 224, 225 may be configured to interact or engage with features of the infill retention members 500 to facilitate the coupling of the infill retention members 500 to the structural post 200, as discussed below.

For adjacent ones of the connection arms 210, the second arm rib 217, the second wall 219, and the fourth wall 223 of one of the connection arms 210 extends towards and is respectively aligned with the first arm rib 216, the first wall 218, and the third wall 222 of the adjacently positioned connection arm 210. Furthermore, a slot 226 is formed between distal ends of the first wall 218 of one of the connection arms 210 and the second wall 219 of the adjacently positioned connection arm 210, with the slot 226 providing access into the first channel 224 of one of the connection arms 210 and the second channel 225 of the adjacently positioned connection arm 210. The first channel 224 of one of the connection arms 210 and the second channel 225 of an adjacent one of the connection arms 210 may collectively form a T-bar receiving slot 229 which may be used for the attachment of the infill retention member 500, as described further below. In an embodiment, the structural post 200 may comprise an infill retention member engagement feature, which may be the T-bar receiving slot 229 in one embodiment. However, the infill retention member engagement feature may take on other structural forms so long as it is configured to engage or mate with the infill retention member 500 to facilitate the coupling of the infill retention member 500 to the structural post 200 as described herein.

Outer surfaces of the first walls 218 of all of the connection arms 210 collectively form a square or rectangular shape, with gaps formed by the slots 226 between the distal ends of the first walls 218 of the adjacent connection arms 210. The C-shaped distal portions 211 of the connection arms 210 extend radially outward from corners of the theoretical square or rectangular shape formed by the first walls 218 of the collection of the connection arms 210.

Referring to FIGS. 8A and 8B, the corner covers 300 will be described. As with the structural posts 200, the corner covers 300 may be extruded. Alternatively, the corner covers 300 may be formed by other manufacturing techniques, such as additive manufacturing or the like. The corner covers 300 may be formed from metal, and in one embodiment the metal may be aluminum, although the invention is not limited to this specific material in all embodiments and other materials may be used including other metals, hard plastics, or the like. The corner covers 300 may be a constant cross-sectional profile, such as the profile depicted in FIG. 8B. The corner covers 300 may comprise a bottom end 301, a top end 302, and a longitudinal axis B-B extending between the bottom and top ends 301, 302. The longitudinal axis B-B may be parallel to the longitudinal axis A-A of the structural posts 200 when the corner covers 300 are coupled to the structural posts 200, as described in detail below.

The corner covers 300 comprise an outer wall 310 having an outer surface 311 and an inner surface 312. In the exemplified embodiment, the outer wall 310 and the outer surface 311 are L-shaped. Thus, the outer surface 311 of the outer wall 310 comprises a first longitudinal section 313 and a second longitudinal section 314 that are orthogonal to one another. The first and second longitudinal sections 313, 314 may extend the full length of the corner cover 300 from the bottom end 301 to the top end 302. However, in alternative embodiments the outer surface 311 may be rounded rather than squared or L-shaped. It should be appreciated that the corner covers 300 form a portion of an exterior of the post system 100, and thus the shape of the corner covers 300 and in particular the outer surface 311 thereof may dictate the overall shape of the post system 100 as visible to an end-user when installed on a support structure. In the exemplified embodiment, the inner surface 312 of the outer wall 310 is rounded at corner regions thereof, although the inner surface 312 could have a more squared appearance in alternative embodiments.

The corner covers 300 further comprise a first sidewall 320 extending from the first longitudinal section 313 of the outer wall 310 and a second sidewall 330 extending from the second longitudinal section 314 of the outer wall 310. The first sidewall 320 may extend orthogonally from the first longitudinal section 313 and the second sidewall 330 may extend orthogonally from the second longitudinal section 314. Stated another way, the outer wall 310 may have a first side edge 315 and a second side edge 316, and the first sidewall 320 may extend from the first side edge 315 and the second sidewall 330 may extend from the second side edge 316. The first and second sidewalls 320, 330 may extend towards one another as they extend further from the outer wall 310. The first and second sidewalls 320, 330 may be oriented orthogonally relative to one another. Thus, the corner covers 300 have a generally square shaped cross-sectional profile, although the first and second sidewalls 320, 330 are spaced apart and do not connect. Specifically, the first sidewall 320 terminates in a distal end 321 and the second sidewall 330 terminates in a distal end 331, the distal ends 321, 331 being spaced apart from one another by a longitudinally elongated slot 340. The outer wall 310 and the first and second sidewalls 320, 330 may collectively define an interior space 317.

The first sidewall 320 comprises an inner surface 322 that faces the interior space 317 and an outer surface 323 that is opposite the inner surface 322. The first sidewall 320 comprises a first inwardly extending retaining rib 324 located along the inner surface 322 adjacent to the distal end 321. The first inwardly extending retaining rib 324 extends inwardly into the interior space 317. The first sidewall 320 further comprises a first recess 325 located adjacent to the first inwardly extending retaining rib 324 along the inner surface 322. The first inwardly extending retaining rib 324 and the first recess 325 may extend along the full length of the corner cover 300. The first sidewall 320 may further comprise a first engagement feature 326 located on the outer surface 323. The first engagement feature 326 may be located approximately midway between the outer wall 310 and the distal end 321. The first engagement feature 326 may be a first groove formed into the outer surface 323 of the first sidewall 320. While the first engagement feature 326 is a female structure (i.e., a groove) in the exemplified embodiment, the first engagement feature 326 could be a male structure, such as a post or a nub or a protrusion or the like in alternative embodiments. The first engagement feature 326 may extend the full length of the corner cover 300. The first groove may have a dovetail shape in the exemplified embodiment, although other shapes are permissible in accordance with the invention disclosed herein.

The second sidewall 330 comprises an inner surface 332 that faces the interior space 317 and an outer surface 333 that is opposite the inner surface 332. The second sidewall 330 comprises a second inwardly extending retaining rib 334 located along the inner surface 332 adjacent to the distal end 331. The second inwardly extending retaining rib 334 may extend inwardly into the interior space 317. The second sidewall 330 further comprises a second recess 335 located adjacent to the second inwardly extending retaining rib 334 along the inner surface 332. The second inwardly extending retaining rib 334 and the second recess 335 may extend along the full length of the corner cover 300. The second sidewall 330 may further comprise a second engagement feature 336 located on the outer surface 333. The second engagement feature 336 may be located approximately midway between the outer wall 310 and the distal end 331. The second engagement feature 336 may be a second groove formed into the outer surface 333 of the second sidewall 330. While the second engagement feature 336 is a female structure (i.e., a groove) in the exemplified embodiment, the second engagement feature 336 could be a male structure, such as a post or a nub or a protrusion or the like in alternative embodiments. The second engagement feature 336 may extend the full length of the corner cover 300. The second groove may have a dovetail shape in the exemplified embodiment, although other shapes are permissible in accordance with the invention disclosed herein. The first and second engagement features 326, 336 may be collectively referred to as a pair of engagement features (i.e., the corner covers 300 comprise a pair of engagement features 326, 336).

The retaining rib 324 of the first sidewall 320 and the retaining rib 334 of the second sidewall 330 may define or form the boundary of the longitudinally elongated slot 340, which may be referred to herein as a receiving slot. As discussed further below, the first and second inwardly extending retaining ribs 324, 334 may facilitate the coupling between the corner covers 300 and the structural post 200. Specifically, the first and second inwardly extending retaining ribs 324, 334 may mate with or nest within the first and second retaining grooves 220, 221 of one of the connection arms 210 of the structural post 200, with the spine 213 of the connection arm 210 extending through the receiving slot 340. As also described further below, the first and second engagement features 326, 336 (i.e., the first pair of engagement features 326, 336) of the corner covers 300 may facilitate the coupling between the corner covers 300 and the cover plates 400.

Referring now to FIGS. 9A and 9B, the cover plates 400 will be described. The cover plates 400 may be extruded from a metal such as aluminum, although other metals or materials such as plastic or the like may be used. Thus, the cover plates 400 have a substantially constant cross-sectional shape/profile along its entire length. In an alternative embodiment, the cover plates 400 may be manufactured using other techniques, such as additive manufacturing or the like. The cover plates 400 extend from a bottom end 401 to a top end 402 along a longitudinal axis C-C. The longitudinal axis C-C is parallel to the longitudinal axes A-A, B-B of the structural post 200 and the corner covers 300 when the post system 100 is assembled as described herein.

The cover plates 400 are generally U-shaped and comprise an outer wall 410 comprising a first side edge 411 and an opposite second side edge 412, a first sidewall 420 extending from the first side edge 411, and a second sidewall 430 extending from the second side edge 412. The first and second sidewalls 420, 430 may oppose one another. The first and second sidewalls 420, 430 may be configured to flex inwardly towards one another when being coupled to the configurable post assembly which is formed by the structural post 200 and the plurality of corner covers 300. The first and second sidewalls 420, 430 may be sufficiently thin to allow for the inward flexing thereof as described herein. The first and second sidewalls 420, 430 may be biased into the position shown in FIG. 9B such that after being forced to flex inwardly during an attachment procedure, the first and second sidewalls 420, 430 may flex back outwardly to the natural biased position as shown in FIG. 9B.

The first sidewall 420 of the cover plate 400 comprises an inner surface 421, an outer surface 422, and a first engagement feature 425. The first engagement feature 425 may be located on the outer surface 422 of the first sidewall 420. The first engagement feature 425 may be formed by a shape of the first sidewall 420. In the exemplified embodiment, the first engagement feature 425 comprises a longitudinal barb that extends the full length of the cover plate 400. The first engagement feature 425 may form a shoulder or ledge that faces towards the outer wall 410. The second sidewall 430 of the cover plate 400 comprises an inner surface 431, an outer surface 432, and a second engagement feature 435. The second engagement feature 435 may be located on the outer surface 432 of the second sidewall 430. The second engagement feature 435 may be formed by a shape of the second sidewall 430. In the exemplified embodiment, the second engagement feature 435 comprises a longitudinal barb that extends the full length of the cover plate 400. The second engagement feature 435 may form a shoulder or ledge that faces towards the outer wall 410. The first and second engagement features 425, 435 of the cover plate 400 may be collectively referred to herein as a pair of second engagement features.

Referring to FIGS. 10A-10C, the coupling of the corner covers 300 to the structural post 200 to form the configurable post assembly will be described. Afterwards, with reference to FIGS. 10D-10F, the coupling of the corner covers 400 to the configurable post assembly will be described.

FIG. 10A illustrates the structural post 200 with one of the corner covers 300 elevated relative thereto so that the bottom end 301 of the corner cover 300 is elevated above the top end 202 of the structural post 200. The corner cover 300 is positioned in axial alignment with one of the connection arms 210 of the structural post 200. In the exemplified embodiment, the corner cover 300 is configured to be coupled to the structural post 200 by sliding the corner cover 300 downwardly along the length of the structural post 200 so that the distal portion 211 of the connection arm 210 of the structural post 200 nests within the interior space 317 of the corner cover 300. Specifically, as the corner cover 300 is moved axially downwardly relative to the structural post 200, the distal portion 211 of the connection arm 210 enters into the interior space 317 of the corner cover 300 and engagement features of the corner cover 300 mate with engagement features of the structural post 200 to achieve the coupling of those components to one another. The invention is not limited to an axial sliding of the corner cover 300 relative to the structural post 200 to achieve the coupling of those two components. In an alternative embodiment, the corner cover 300 may be coupled to the structural post 200 by pressing the corner cover 300 horizontally towards the structural post 200 to achieve the engagement of the various components thereof. In other embodiments, a combination of a horizontal translation and axial sliding movement may be used to facilitate the connection of the corner cover 300 to the structural post 200. In still other embodiments, a snap-fit style connection or coupling technique may be used. In some embodiments, the structural post 200 may be mounted to the support structure (i.e., the deck, porch, balcony, or the like) prior to attaching the corner cover 300 thereto. In other embodiments, the corner covers 300 may be coupled to the structural post 200 to form the configurable post assembly 299, which is then later coupled to the support structure.

The term configurable post assembly 299 may refer to the assembly comprising the structural post 200 and one or more of the corner covers 300. That is, any of one, two, three, or four of the corner covers 300 may be coupled to the structural post 200 at various different locations/positions along the structural post 200. This is the reason that the term “configurable” is used to describe the post assembly 299, because the post assembly 299 may take on different configurations depending on the number of corner covers 300 coupled thereto and the specific positions of the corner covers 300 on the post assembly 299. Thus, there could be four corner covers 300, three corner covers 300 at different positions, two corner covers 300 positioned adjacent or across from one another, or just a single corner cover 300, with each being encompassed by the term configurable post assembly 299.

Referring to FIGS. 10B and 10C, the engagement of the corner cover 300 with the structural post 200 will be further described. FIG. 10B illustrates the configurable post assembly 299 which comprises the structural post 200 and one of the corner covers 300 coupled thereto, and further illustrates another one of the corner covers 300 in position to be coupled thereto in the same manner, but with the second corner cover 300 configured for attachment to another one of the connection arms 210 of the structural post 200. FIG. 10C provides a good illustration of the engagement between the corner cover 300 and the structural post 200 when the two components are attached/coupled together.

As noted previously, the connection arms 210 of the structural post 200 comprise the first retaining groove 220 and the second retaining groove 221. Furthermore, the corner cover 300 comprises the first inwardly extending retaining rib 324 and the second inwardly extending retaining rib 334. As the corner cover 300 is coupled to the structural post 200 (via the sliding as shown or other techniques as described), the first and second inwardly extending retaining ribs 324, 334 mate with the first and second retaining grooves 220, 221, respectively. Specifically, the first and second inwardly extending retaining ribs 324, 334 nest within the first and second retaining grooves 220, 221. Furthermore, the spine 213 of the connection arm 210 extends through the receiving slot 340 defined between the first and second inwardly extending retaining ribs 324, 334. When so positioned, the first and second arm ribs 216, 217 of the connection arm 210 of the structural post 210 nest within the first and second recesses 325, 335 of the corner cover 300. Thus, by positioning the corner cover 300 above the top end 202 of the structural post 200 and then sliding the corner cover 300 downwardly along the structural post 200, all of the aforementioned engagement features (ribs, recesses, grooves, etc.) of the structural post 200 and the corner cover 300 simultaneously mate and engage with one another to facilitate the attachment/coupling of the corner cover 300 to the post structure 200. Once the corner cover 300 is coupled to the post structure 200, the corner cover 300 is prohibited from being radially separated from the structural post 200 due to the engagement and mating between the various rib, walls, and grooves. Rather, in accordance with the exemplified embodiment, the corner cover 300 may only be detached from the post structure 200 by sliding the corner cover 300 back upwardly relative to the post structure 200. In an embodiment, the interfacing between the connection arms 210 and the corner covers 300 prevents pivoting of the corner covers 300 relative to the connection arms 210. The pivoting may be prevented due to the contact between the first inwardly extending retaining rib 324 of the cover member 300 and the first arm rib 216 and the first wall 218 of the connection arm 210 and contact between the second inwardly extending retaining rib 334 of the cover member 300 and the second arm rib 217 and the second wall 219 of the connection arm 210. Finally, as noted previously, the distal portions 211 of the connection arms 210 may be located within the interior space 317 (i.e., the internal cavities) of the corner covers 300 when the corner covers 300 are coupled to the connection arms 210 of the structural post 200.

Turning again to FIG. 10B, as noted additional ones of the corner covers 300 may be coupled to any of the other ones of the connection arms 210 of the structural post 200 as may be desired. Thus, in accordance with the invention described herein, up to four of the corner covers 300 may be coupled to the structural post 200, although fewer than four of the corner covers 300 may be used. Each of the corner covers 300 may be coupled to the structural post 200 in the manner described herein, whereby the corner cover 300 is positioned above the top end 202 of the structural post 200 and then slid downwardly relative to the structural post 200 so that the distal end 211 of one of the connection arms 210 nests within the interior space 317 of the corner cover 300. The corner covers 300 are described herein as being detachably coupled to the structural post 200. However, in alternative embodiments the corner covers 300 may be integrally formed with the structural post 200.

Referring to FIG. 10D, the configurable post assembly 299 is illustrated with two of the corner covers 300 coupled to the structural post 200. As mentioned previously, any desired number of the corner covers 300, up to the total number of the connection arms 210 of the structural post 200, may be coupled to the structural post 200 using the techniques described herein. Each of the corner covers 300 that is coupled to the structural post 200 forms a longitudinal corner section 399 of the configurable post assembly 299. Furthermore, when two corner covers 300 are coupled to two adjacently positioned ones of the connection arms 210 as shown, the two corner covers 300 are separated by a longitudinal gap 398 which extends the length of the configurable post assembly 299. This longitudinal gap 398 is then available for attaching the cover plates 400 to the configurable post assembly 299 or for attaching infill retention members and portions of railing infills to the configurable post assembly 299. Thus, if there are four of the corner covers 300 attached to the structural post 200, then there would be four of the longitudinal gaps 398. The cover plates 400 may then be coupled to the configurable post assembly 299 to fill in selected ones of the longitudinal gaps 398 while leaving remaining ones of the longitudinal gaps 398 open for use for coupling the railing infills to the configurable post assembly 299.

In FIG. 10D, one of the cover plates 400 is positioned in preparation for attachment to the configurable post assembly 299. FIG. 10E illustrates the cover plate 400 having been attached to the configurable post assembly, such that the cover plate 400 fills in one of the longitudinal gaps 398 between the two corner plates 300 that are depicted in that view. In an embodiment, the cover plate 400 may be coupled to the configurable post assembly 299 by aligning the cover plate 400 lengthwise with the selected one of the longitudinal gaps 398 and then moving or translating the cover plate 400 horizontally into the longitudinal gap 398. In other embodiments, the cover plates 400 may be coupled to the configurable post assembly 299 in a similar manner to the way the corner covers 300 are coupled to the structural post 200, which is via an axial sliding of the cover plates 400 relative to the configurable post assembly 299. Thus, various methods of assembly and installation may be possible in different embodiments. All of the above methods of coupling the cover plates 400 to the configurable post assembly 299 may be described by the term slidably, such that regardless of whether the cover plates 400 are moved horizontally into the longitudinal gaps 398 or axially downwardly into the longitudinal gaps 398, the cover plates 400 are slidably moved relative to the configurable post assembly 299. The term slidably as used herein may not require that the two structures or components maintain continuous contact, but may instead merely refer to a general movement of one structure or component relative to another structure or component. The term slidably as used herein may also include a snap-fit connection, such as the one described above.

FIG. 10F is a cross-section of the assembly of FIG. 10E and will be referred to here for further discussion. The corner covers 300 comprise the first and second sidewalls 320, 330 as previously mentioned. Each of the longitudinal gaps 398 is defined (or bounded) by the first sidewall 320 of one of the corner covers 300 and the second sidewall 330 of an adjacent one of the corner covers 300. In the exemplified embodiment, the cover plates 400 may be coupled directly to the two corner covers 300 which bound the cover plate 400 on either side and which define the longitudinal gap 398 within which the cover plate 400 is positioned. Thus, in the exemplified embodiment the cover plates 400 are coupled to the corner covers 300 but not to the structural post 200. In other embodiments, the cover plates 400 may be coupled to the structural posts 200 but not to the corner covers 300. In still other embodiments the cover plates 400 may be coupled to one or more of the corner covers 300 and to the structural post 200.

The cover plates 400 may be snap-fit connected to the two corner covers 300 which define the longitudinal gap 398 within which the cover plate 400 is positioned. When the cover plates 400 are moved into the respective longitudinal gaps 398, at some point in that movement the first engagement feature 425 of the cover plate 400 engages or mates with the first engagement feature 326 of one of the corner covers 300 and the second engagement feature 435 of the cover plate 400 engages or mates with the second engagement feature 336 of the adjacently positioned one of the corner covers 300. In this embodiment, the first and second engagement features 425, 435 of the cover plate 400 comprise barbs or shoulder features and the first and second engagement features 326, 336 of the corner covers 300 comprise channels. As such, the barbs may nest within the channels and the shoulder features may abut against surfaces that define the channels. In an alternative embodiment, the cover plate 400 may comprise channels and the corner covers 300 may comprise barbs or protrusions that mate therewith. A pulling force applied onto the cover plate 400 relative to the configurable post assembly 299 (and more specifically relative to the corner covers 300) may cause the first and second engagement features 425, 435 of the cover plate 400 to disengage from the first and second engagement features 326, 336 of the corner covers 300 to facilitate disassembly.

In the exemplified embodiment, the first and second engagement features 326, 336 of the corner covers 300 comprise longitudinal grooves and the first and second engagement features 425, 435 of the cover plates 400 comprise longitudinal barbs that engage/mate with/nest within the longitudinal grooves. Thus, the first and second engagement features 326, 336 of the corner covers 300 may be female features and the first and second engagement features 425, 435 of the cover plates 400 may be male features. However, the exact structure and shape of the various engagement features associated with the corner covers 300 and the cover plates 400 may be modified without affecting the assembly and disassembly process. For example, the cover plates 400 could have female engagement features while the corner covers 300 have mating male engagement features to achieve the same result.

The cover plates 300 comprise the outer wall 310 which has the outer surface 311. Furthermore, the cover plates 400 comprise the outer wall 410 which has an outer surface 415. When the corner covers 300 and the cover plates 400 are assembled as shown in FIG. 10F, the outer surface 311 of the outer wall 310 of the cover plates 300 are flush with the outer surface 415 of the outer wall 410 of the cover plate 400 which is positioned in the longitudinal gap 398 between the cover plates 300. This ensures that that outer surface of the post system 100 has a seamless appearance and structure despite the multiple components used to form the post system 100. Moreover, as noted above the corner covers 300 and the cover plates 400 could have rounded outer surfaces to form a round overall shape to the post system 100.

Referring to FIGS. 11A and 11B, the infill retention members 500 will be described. The infill retention members 500 may be extruded and may therefore have a constant cross-sectional profile. The infill retention members 500 may be extruded from metal, such as for example without limitation aluminum, although other materials such as hard plastic or the like may be used. Moreover, other manufacturing methods may be used, including additive manufacturing techniques or the like. The infill retention members 500 may extend from a bottom end 501 to a top end 502 along a longitudinal axis D-D. The longitudinal axis D-D is parallel to the previously described longitudinal axes A-A, B-B, C-C when the infill retention members 500 are attached to form part of the post system 100. As discussed herein, the infill retention members 500 may be positioned in ones of the longitudinal gaps 398 of the configurable post assembly 299 that are not filled by the cover plates 400.

The infill retention members 500 comprise a first portion 510 that may be configured to be coupled to the structural post 200 and a second portion 540 that may be configured to be coupled to be engaged with one or more of the corner covers 300 and which may be configured to support a railing infill, such as one of the glass panel railing infills. The infill retention member 500 may further comprise a rear wall 505 located between the first and second portions 510, 540, although the rear wall 505 could be deemed to form part of one of the first and second portions 510, 540 in an alternative embodiment. The rear wall 505 may comprise a front surface 506 and a rear surface 507 opposite the front surface 506.

The first portion 510 of the infill retention member 500 may protrude from the rear surface 507 of the rear wall 505. Specifically, the first portion 510 may comprise a T-bar 511 that protrudes from the rear wall 505. In an embodiment, the rear wall 505 forms a part of the second portion 540 of the infill retention member 500 and in such embodiment the T-bar 511 may protrude from the second portion 540 of the infill retention member 500. The T-bar 511 may comprise a first wall portion 512 that protrudes directly from the rear surface 507 of the rear wall 505 and a second wall portion 513 that extends perpendicularly from the end of the first wall portion 512 so that the first and second wall portions 512, 513 collectively form a T-shape. In the exemplified embodiment the first wall portion 512 may comprise dual walls, but a single wall may be used in alternative embodiments. The second wall portion 513 protrudes outwardly from both opposing sides of the first wall portion 512 to form the T-shape. Specifically, the second wall portion 513 may comprise a first flange 514 extending from the first wall portion 511 in a first direction and a second flange 515 extending from the first wall portion 511 in a second direction that is opposite the first direction. The first flange 514 may be spaced apart from the rear surface 507 of the rear wall 505 to define a first longitudinal channel 516. The second flange 515 may be spaced apart from the rear surface 507 of the rear wall 505 to define a second longitudinal channel 517. The first and second longitudinal channels 516, 517 may extend the full length of the infill retention member 500. The T-bar 511, or more generally the first portion 510 of the infill retention member 500, may form a post engagement feature of the infill retention member 500 which is configured to engage with the structural post 200 to facilitate the attachment of the infill retention member 500 to the structural post 200 as described further below.

The second portion 540 of the infill retention member 500 may comprise a channel bar 541 that defines a longitudinal channel cavity 542. The longitudinal channel cavity 542 may be configured to receive an edge portion of one of the glass panel railing infills as described herein. The channel bar 541 may comprise a first sidewall 550 extending from the front surface 506 of the rear wall 505 at a first end of the rear wall 505 and a second sidewall 560 extending from the front surface 506 of the rear wall 505 at a second end of the rear wall 505. The rear wall 505 may also form part of the channel bar 541 in some embodiments. The first sidewall 550 comprises an inner surface 551 and an outer surface 552. Furthermore, the first sidewall 550 comprises a first protuberance 553 that protrudes from or is otherwise located along the outer surface 552. The first protuberance 553 may function as an engagement feature that engages/mates with a feature of one of the corner covers 300 to facilitate attachment of the infill retention member 500 to the corner cover 300. The first protuberance 553 may be a channel or groove instead of a protuberance in an alternative embodiment.

The first sidewall 550 of the channel bar 541 comprises an insert engagement feature 554 that is configured to mate or engage with the insert 700 in the assembled post assembly 100. The insert engagement feature 554 may comprise a barb 555 that extends from the inner surface 551 of the first sidewall 550 and into the longitudinal channel cavity 542. The barb 555 may comprise a shoulder (or ledge) 556 that faces the longitudinal channel cavity 542, and more specifically faces the rear wall 505. The shoulder 556 may be formed by a wall or surface which extends from the inner surface 551 and can be used to “catch” on another structure to facilitate an attachment or locking engagement between the structures.

The second sidewall 560 of the channel bar 541 comprises an inner surface 561 and an outer surface 562. Furthermore, the second sidewall 560 comprises a second protuberance 563 that protrudes from or is otherwise located along the outer surface 562. The second protuberance 563 may function as an engagement feature that engages/mates with a feature of one of the corner covers 300 to facilitate attachment of the infill retention member 500 to the corner cover 300. The first protuberance 553 may be a channel or groove instead of a protuberance in an alternative embodiment.

The channel bar 541 may further comprise a pressure distribution wall 570 that protrudes or extends into the longitudinal channel cavity 542. Specifically, the channel bar 541 may comprise an end wall 565 extending inwardly from a distal end of the second sidewall 560 in a direction towards the first sidewall 550, and the pressure distribution wall 570 may extend from a distal end of the end wall 565 into the longitudinal channel cavity 542 and towards the rear wall 505. The pressure distribution wall 570 may therefore be spaced apart from the second sidewall 560 by a gap. As such, the pressure distribution wall 570 may be configured to deflect into the gap when a force is applied thereon in a direction towards the second sidewall 560. The pressure distribution wall 570 may comprise an outer surface 571 and an inner surface 572, with the inner surface 572 facing the gap and the outer surface 571 facing the first sidewall 550. The outer surface 571 may form a major surface of the pressure distribution wall 570. The outer surface 571 may be configured to contact and apply a compression force onto a glass panel railing infill that has its edge located within the longitudinal channel cavity 542, as described further below.

The channel bar 541 may comprise a first portion which comprises the first sidewall 550 and a second portion which comprises the second sidewall 560 and the pressure distribution wall 570. A longitudinal slot 569 may be formed between the first and second portions of the channel bar 541. More specifically, the longitudinal slot 569 may be formed between the distal end of the first sidewall 550 and an region where the pressure distribution wall 570 intersects the end wall 565. The longitudinal slot 569 may be configured to allow an edge portion of one of the glass panel railing infills to pass therethrough and into the longitudinal channel cavity 542.

Referring now to FIGS. 12A and 12B, the insert 700 will be described. The insert may be formed from a resilient or flexible material. For example, the insert 700 may be formed from an elastomeric material such as rubber, silicone, thermoplastic elastomer, or the like. In an embodiment, the infill retention member 500 may be formed from a first material and the insert 700 may be formed from a second material, with the first material being harder than the second material. Thus, the insert 700 may be flexible so that it becomes deformed when compressive forces act upon it. The insert 700 comprises a bottom end 701, a top end 702, and a longitudinal axis E-E extending from the bottom end 701 to the top end 702. The insert 700 is elongated along the longitudinal axis E-E, and the longitudinal axis E-E is parallel to the longitudinal axes A-A, B-B, C-C, D-D of the previously described components when used in the assembled post system 100. In some embodiments the infill retention member 500 and the insert 700 may only be used when the railing infill is the glass panel railing infill. In some embodiments, other retention members may be used with other railing infills.

The insert 700 may comprise a lead portion 710 and a trailing portion 711. The lead portion 710 of the insert 700 may have a tapered profile to facilitate the insertion of the insert into the longitudinal channel cavity 542 of the infill retention member 500 during assembly of the post system 100 as described further below. The lead portion 710 may enter into the longitudinal channel cavity 542 first during an assembly process. The insert 700 may comprise an outer surface 713. The outer surface 713 may comprise a channel bar engagement feature 720 that is configured to mate with the insert engagement feature 554 of the infill retention member 500 in the assembled post system 100. The channel bar engagement feature 720 may comprise an insert groove 721 formed into the outer surface 713 of the insert 700. The channel bar engagement feature 720 may be located along the trailing portion 711 of the insert 700.

The insert 700 may further comprise a central void 730 which extends the full length of the insert 700 from an opening in the top end 702 of the insert 700 to an opening in the bottom end 701 of the insert 700. The trailing portion 711 of the insert 700 may comprise the central void 730. Alternatively, the central void 730 may extend along a portion of the length of the insert 700 instead of the full length of the insert. The insert 700 may comprise a first sidewall 731 located on a first side of the central void 730 and a second sidewall 732 located on a second side of the central void 730. The channel bar engagement feature 720 (i.e., the insert groove 721) may be formed into the first sidewall 731. When the insert 700 is positioned within the longitudinal channel cavity 542 of the infill retention member 500 as described further below, the first sidewall 731 may deflect into the central void 730 to facilitate the attachment of the insert 700 to the infill retention member 500. That is, a compression force may be applied onto the insert 700 during assembly, which causes the first sidewall 731 to deflect into the central void 730 and which may assist with placement of the insert 700 and locking all of the components of the post assembly 100 together to ultimately hold the railing infill in place.

FIG. 12B illustrates the insert 700 in its biased/non-compressed state. It should be appreciated that a force applied onto the first sidewall 731 in the direction of the central void 730 would cause the first sidewall 731 to deflect into the central void 730, which will result in the size/volume of the central void 730 decreasing. A release of the force onto the first sidewall 731 may result in the insert 700 biasing back to its form as shown in FIG. 12B.

Referring to FIGS. 13A-13M in sequence, the process of fitting one of the glass panel railing infills 30 between two of the post systems 100 will be described. Referring first to FIGS. 13A and 13B, the post system 100 will be described as assembled prior to the fitting of the glass panel railing infill 30 between two of the post systems 100. Specifically, prior to placement of the panel railing infill 30, the post system 100 may comprise the post structure 200, three of the corner covers 300 coupled to three of the connection arms 210 of the post structure, and up to three of the cover plates 400 positioned within respective ones of the longitudinal gaps 398. The exact order at which the corner covers 300 and/or the cover plates 400 are attached to the structural post 200 and/or to each other is not limiting of the invention in all embodiments. Some of the corner covers 300 and/or cover plates 400 may be assembled at later stages of the assembly/installation. The number of cover plates 400 used may depend on whether the post system 100 is functioning as a corner post, an end post, or a straight post. For purposes of easy discussion, the exemplified embodiment has the post system 100 functioning as an end post so only one of the glass panel railing infills 30 is located in one of the longitudinal gaps 398 and cover plates 400 are located in the remaining ones of the longitudinal gaps 398. If the post system 100 were functioning as a straight post or a corner post, then two of the glass panel railing infills 30 would be located in two of the longitudinal gaps 398 and two of the cover panels 400 would be located in the remaining two of the longitudinal gaps 398.

The manner of coupling the corner covers 300 to the post structures 200 has been previously described. The manner of coupling the cover plates 400 to the configurable post assembly 299, and more specifically to the corner covers 300, has also been previously described. As noted above, at this point in the installation process, only three of the corner covers 300 are coupled to the post structure 200. One of the connection arms 210 of the post structure 200 remains free, meaning it does not have a corner cover 300 coupled thereto. Furthermore, the longitudinal gap 398 between the connection arm 210 which does not have a corner cover 300 coupled thereto and one of the adjacent corner covers 300 remains open does not have a cover plate 400 therein. The connection arm 210 which does not have a corner cover 300 coupled thereto should be the connection arm 210 which faces away from an edge 23 of the support structure 20 and which is closest to the other post system 100 which the glass panel railing infill 30 is going to be positioned between. Stated another way, the corner of the past system 100 which is inboard (meaning closer to the installer and further from the edge 23 of the support structure 20) and which is facing the adjacent post system 100 which the railing infill 30 being installed will extend between, does not have a corner cover 300 located therein until after the railing infill 30 is positioned in the selected longitudinal gap 398.

Stated another way, the glass panel railing infill 30 is configured to be attached to two adjacent post structures 100 so that the glass panel railing infill 30 extends between the two post structures 100. The glass panel railing infill 30 is configured to be inserted into a selected one of the longitudinal gaps 398 from a side of the post structures 100 which is opposite the edge 23 of the support structure 20. That is, the installer stands on the side of the post structures 100 which is opposite the edge 23 during the installation process. Thus, the corner of the post structures 100 which faces away from the edge 23 of the support structure 20 (and therefore faces the glass panel railing infill 30 being coupled thereto) and which faces the other post structure 100 which the glass panel failing infill 30 is configured to extend between is the corner which will not have a corner cover 300 located thereon at this stage of the assembly/installation process. These corners of the two post structures 100 should be free of the corner covers 300 to provide sufficient space for the glass panel railing infill 30 to be inserted. Stated another way, the glass panel railing infill 30 is configured to be inserted into the selected one of the longitudinal gaps 398 from an inboard side of the post system 100, which is the side facing away from the edge 23. The side of the post system 100 which faces the edge 23 may be referred to herein as the outboard side.

In this embodiment, the vertical spacer 150 is positioned within the selected one of the longitudinal gaps 398 where the glass panel railing infill 30 is intended to be located. The vertical spacer 150 may comprise first and second engagement features 151, 152 on opposite ends thereof that are configured to engage with portions of the first and second engagement features 326, 336 of adjacent ones of the corner covers 300. Of course, at this stage of the installation process, the first engagement feature 151 of the vertical spacer 150 engages or mates with the first engagement feature 326 of one of the corner covers 300, and the second engagement feature 152 is free because the adjacent corner cover 300 is not yet assembled into place, but available to mate/engage with the second engagement feature 336 of the fourth corner cover 300 which it is eventually attached to the exposed connection arm 210 at a later stage in the assembly/installation process.

Referring to FIGS. 13A and 13C, when the two adjacent post systems 100 are in place and secured to the support structure 20, there is a railing gap 199 which exists between the two adjacent post systems 100. Once the post systems (or structural posts) 100 are mounted to the support structure 20, the glass panel railing infill 30 is moved horizontally towards the post systems 100 from the side of the post systems 100 which faces away from the edge 23 of the support structure 20 (i.e., the inboard side). This way, the installer can stand on the support structure 20 during the installation of the glass panel railing infill 30. Furthermore, as will be appreciated from the discussion below, the glass panel railing infill 30 may not need to be lifted above the height of the post systems 100 and then moved or slide downwardly into place. In an embodiment, the bottom edge of the glass panel railing infill 30 may remain below top ends of the post systems 100 during the positioning of the glass panel railing infill 30 between the adjacent post systems 100. Rather, the glass panel railing infill 30 may be able to be moved horizontally into the railing gap 199. This is achieved by angling the glass panel railing infill 30 as shown in FIG. 13A and then inserting a first edge 31 of the glass panel railing infill 30 into the selected longitudinal gap 398 of a first one of the post systems 100. Once the first edge 31 of the glass panel railing infill 30 is in position, the glass panel railing infill 30 may be rotated until a second edge 32 of the glass panel railing infill 30 enters into the selected longitudinal gap 398 of a second one of the post systems 100. The glass panel railing infill 30 may have a vertical axis Z-Z which is located centrally between the first and second edges 31, 32. The glass panel railing infill 30 may be rotated about the vertical axis Z-Z during this step in the assembly/installation process.

It should be appreciated that if the fourth corner cover 300 were coupled to the post structures 200 prior to positioning the glass panel railing infill 30 as shown, there would be insufficient space for the glass panel railing infill 30 to fit between the two post systems 100. This would then require the glass panel railing infill 30 to be inserted into the longitudinal gaps 398 from above, which may be less desirable due to the potential for the glass panel railing infills 30 to break and because wind may make it difficult to properly insert the glass panel railing infills 30 in this manner. Thus, having the corner covers 300 be detachable so that at least one may be not attached to the post structures 200 until the glass panel railing infill 30 is in position may be an effective solution which minimizes the potential for glass breakage and allows for a simple assembly/installation process for the installer.

Referring to FIGS. 13D and 13E, the railing system 10 is illustrated with two of the post systems 100 and with the glass panel railing infill 30 extending between the two post systems 100. The first edge 31 of the glass panel railing infill 30 nests within one of the longitudinal gaps 398 of one of the post systems 100 and the second edge 32 of the glass panel railing infill 30 nests within one of the longitudinal gaps 398 of the other one of the post systems 100. A bottom edge 33 of the glass panel railing infill 30 may rest atop of a top surface 155 of the vertical spacer 150 to properly space the bottom edge 33 of the glass panel railing infill 30 above the support structure 20. Once the glass panel railing infill 30 is positioned in the manner shown in FIGS. 13D and 13E, it is not yet secured and could potentially become dislodged and/or separated from the post systems 100. Thus, further assembly/installation steps may be undertaken, including positioning the infill retention member 500 and the insert 700 into the longitudinal gaps 398 which contain the first and second edges 31, 32 of the glass panel railing infill 30. The longitudinal gaps 398 which contain the first and second edges 31, 32 may be referred to as the selected longitudinal gaps 398 in the description that follows.

Next, referring to FIGS. 13F and 13H, the infill retention member 500 are positioned into the selected longitudinal gaps 398 and coupled to the configurable post assembly 299. The infill retention members 500 may positioned into the selected longitudinal gaps 398 by lifting the infill retention members 500 so that their bottom ends 501 are above the top ends 202 of the post structures 200. Next, the infill retention members 500 may be moved or slid downwardly relative to the post structures 200 and into the noted/selected longitudinal gaps 398. As noted above, the infill retention members 500 may be inserted into the longitudinal gaps 398 in other ways, including via horizontal movement of the infill retention members 500 instead of axial movement of the infill retention members 500 relative to the structural posts 200.

FIG. 13H illustrates the interaction/mating between the various structures of the infill retention members 500, the structural posts 200, and the corner covers 300. In the exemplified embodiment, the infill retention members 500 are configured to be directly coupled to the structural post 200 as shown. Thus, the T-bar 511 of the first portion 510 of the infill retention members 500 nests within the T-bar receiving slot 229 of the structural post 200. More specifically, the first flange 514 of the T-bar 511 of the first portion 510 of the infill retention member 500 nests within the first channel 224 of the structural post 200 and the second flange 515 of the T-bar 511 of the first portion 510 of the infill retention member 500 nests within the second channel 225 of the structural post 200. Thus, the infill retention member 500 cannot be radially separated from the structural post 200, but can only be separated from the structural post 200 by moving the infill retention member 500 axially relative to the structural post 200 to remove the T-bar 511 of the infill retention member 500 from the T-bar receiving slot 229 of the structural post 200.

The first and second sidewalls 550, 560 of the channel bar 541 of the infill retention member 500 engage the corner covers 300 that define the selected longitudinal gap 398 within which the infill retention member 500 is located (although, as described below, one of the corner covers 300 that defines the selected longitudinal gap 398 may, or may not, be in position at this stage in the assembly/installation process). Furthermore, the first and second protuberances 553, 563 located on the first and second sidewalls 550, 560 of the infill retention members 500 engage or mate with the first and second engagement features 326, 336 of the corner covers 300 that are positioned on either side of the infill retention members 500.

At the stage of assembly shown in FIG. 13H, there is only one corner cover 300 located on one side of the infill retention member 500, because the other corner cover 300 on the other side of the infill retention member 500 has still not been attached at this point in the process. However, in an alternative embodiment, the corner cover 300 which has not yet been added could be attached to the final exposed connection arm 210 before the infill retention member 500 is attached to the structural post 200. Basically, once the glass panel railing infill 30 is positioned in the selected longitudinal gaps 398 of the two post systems 100, the final corner cover 300 which was left off to allow the glass panel railing infill 30 to move into place can be attached to the connection arm 210 of the post structure 200. Thus, once the glass panel railing infill 30 is positioned within its opposing edges 31, 32 in the selected longitudinal gaps 398 of the two post systems 100, either: (1) the final corner covers 300 may be attached to the post structures 200 and then the infill retention members 500 and the inserts 700 may be positioned into the selected longitudinal gaps 398; or (2) the infill retention members 500 and the inserts 700 may be positioned into the selected longitudinal gaps 398 and then the final corner covers 300 may be attached to the post structures 200. While the figures provided herewith illustrate an order of assembly whereby the final corner cover 300 is not attached until later, this can be modified and the exact order of assembly may be changed from that which is shown in accordance with the disclosure set forth herein.

When the infill retention members 500 are coupled to the configurable post assembly 299, edge portions of the glass panel railing infill 30 nest within the longitudinal channel cavity 542 of the infill retention members 500. Thus, as the infill retention members 500 slide downwardly relative to the structural posts 200, the infill retention members 500 also slide downwardly relative to the pre-positioned glass panel railing infills 30 When the infill retention member 500 is positioned as shown in FIG. 13H, the pressure distribution wall 570 of the infill retention member 500 is in contact with edge portions of the glass panel railing infill 30 that are positioned within the longitudinal channel cavity 542. The outer surface 571 of the pressure distribution wall 570 contacts one of the edge portions of the glass panel railing infill 30.

Referring to FIGS. 13G and 13J, the attachment of the insert 700 to the configurable post assembly 299 will be described. In the exemplified embodiment, the insert 700 may be positioned into the selected longitudinal gap 398 by moving the insert 700 horizontally as shown in FIG. 13G. In other embodiments, the insert 700 may be positioned with its bottom end above the top end of the structural post 200 and then the insert 700 may be slid downwardly relative to the structural post 200 and into the selected longitudinal gap 398. Various methods for inserting the insert 700 into the selected longitudinal gap 398 may be used in accordance with the invention described herein.

In accordance with the exemplified embodiment, the insert 700 may be inserted into the longitudinal gap 398 by translating or moving the insert 700 horizontally with the leading edge 710 entering the longitudinal gap 398 first. Due to the tapered shape of the leading edge 710 and the flexible material used to form the insert 700, it should be reasonably easy to push the insert 700 into the selected longitudinal gap 398. The insert 700 is specifically positioned within the selected longitudinal gap 398 at a position between a major surface of the glass panel railing insert 30 and the first sidewall 550 of the infill retaining member 500. As the insert 700 is pushed into the selected longitudinal gap 398, the insert 700 may deform as described previously to enable for a tight fit. This is because the insert 700 in its non-deformed state may have a width that is larger than the space between the major surface of the glass panel railing infill 30 and the first sidewall 550 of the infill retaining member 500. Thus, the central void 730 of the insert 700 allows for the insert 700 to deform and fit into the remaining space. As such, once the insert 700 is fully in position, the insert 700 may apply a pressure force against the glass panel railing infill 30, thereby pressing the glass panel railing infill 30 against the pressure distribution wall 570 of the infill retaining member 500. Thus, the glass panel railing infill is therefore tightly retained between the insert 700 and the pressure distribution wall 570 of the infill retaining member 500.

Moreover, once the insert 700 is positioned as shown in FIG. 13J, the insert engagement feature 554 of the infill retention member 500 mates with the channel bar engagement feature 720 of the insert 700. Stated more specifically, the barb 555 of the insert engagement feature 554 of the infill retention member 500 nests within the insert groove 721 of the channel bar engagement feature 720 of the insert 700. This, in addition to the various pressures being applied by and against the difference components, holds the insert 700 tightly in place and prevents it from being readily removed from the longitudinal channel cavity 542 of the infill retention member 500. In an embodiment, the insert engagement feature 554 of the infill retention member 500 and the channel bar engagement feature 720 of the insert 700 may form a snap-fit engagement with one another. The insert 700, which has been deformed as described, may exert an outward compression force onto the glass panel railing infill. The term compression force as used herein refers to the insert 700 pressing against the major surface of the glass panel railing infill 30. Thus, more specifically, the combination of the insert 700 (and its attempts to bias back to its natural state) and the pressure distribution wall 570 of the infill retention member 500 applies a compression force onto an edge portion of the glass panel railing infill 30.

Referring to FIGS. 13I and 13L, the next step in the assembly/installation may be attaching the final corner cover 300 which was previously not attached to ensure adequate space to position the glass panel railing infill 30 to the configurable post assembly 299. This may be achieved by elevating the corner cover 300 so that its bottom end 301 is above the top end 202 of the structural post 200 and then sliding the corner cover 300 downwardly along the length of the final connection arm 210. During this process, for the post system 100 shown on the left in FIG. 13H, the second protuberance 563 of the second sidewall 560 of the infill retention member 500 nests within the second engagement feature 336 of the second sidewall 330 of the final cover member 300. For the post system 100 shown on the right in FIG. 13H, the first protuberance 553 of the first sidewall 550 of the infill retention member 500 nests within the first engagement feature 326 of the first sidewall 320 of the final cover member 300 as that final cover member 300 is slid or otherwise moved into place. Once those final cover members 300 are put into place (and the details of how this is achieved is the same as the manner of attaching the other cover members 300 to the structural post 200 as described above), the components are all locked in place and the glass panel railing infill 30 is held tightly within the two adjacent post systems 100. The glass panel railing infill 30 is unable to be pivoted out or otherwise removed from the longitudinal gaps 398 As noted above, the final cover members 300 may be attached to the structural post 200 before the infill retention member 500 and the insert 700 are coupled to the rest of the post system 100.

The glass panel railing infill 30 may have a first length L1 measured from the first side edge 31 to the second side edge 32. The first and second walls 218, 219 of the first and second structural posts 200 which face one another are spaced apart from one another by a second horizontal distance D2. The corner covers 300 of the post systems 100 which are closest to one another are spaced apart from one another by a third horizontal distance D3. In one embodiment D2>L1>D3.

Referring to FIGS. 13K and 13M, the final step in the assembly process is to attach the post cover 450 and the post cap 455 to the top end 202 of the structural post 200. This can be accomplished by pressing the post cover 450 onto the top end 202 of the structural post 200 and possibly using a fastener to lock it in place. Finally, the post cap 4545 is positioned over top of the post cover 450.

Referring now to FIGS. 14 and 15, a railing system 1000 is illustrated in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. The railing system 1000 comprises a plurality of post systems 1100 that are secured to a support structure 1020 in a spaced apart manner. The post systems 1100 are generally the same as the post systems 100 previously described, except that the post systems 1100 do not include infill retention members and inserts. Rather, the post systems 1100 comprise structural posts 1200, corner covers 1300, and cover panels 1400. The structural posts 1200 are identical to the structural posts 200 described above, the corner covers 1300 are identical to the corner covers 300 described above, and the cover panels 1400 are identical to the cover panels 400 described above. Therefore, the structural posts 1200, the corner covers 1300, and the cover panels 1400 will not be described in significant detail here, it being understood that the description above is applicable. The features of the structural posts 1200, the corner covers 1300, and the cover panels 1400 may be similarly numbered to the similar/identical components described above, except the prefix “1” will be used.

The post systems 1100 may also include post covers 1450 and post caps 1455 which are identical to the post covers 450 and the post caps 455 of the previously described embodiment, which description may be relied upon for this embodiment as well. Finally, the post systems 1100 may include a post base 1600 which may include first and second plates 1610, 1620 and various fasteners such as screws or the like. The post base 1600 may be identical to the post base 600 described with reference to the post systems 100. Therefore, further description of the post base 1600 will not be provided here in the interest of brevity, it being understood that the description of the post base 600 is applicable.

The railing system 1000 may comprise the plurality of post systems 1100 (four are shown in FIG. 14, but the exact number depends on the overall size and configuration of the railing system 1000), a plurality of slats 1800, and a plurality of slat spacers 1900. Thus, the same general components of the post systems 1100 which were used to support the glass panels in the prior embodiment can support the slats 1800 in this embodiment. The post systems 1100 are spaced apart by a railing gap 1099. For the railing system 1000, there are a plurality of railing infill assemblies 1050 such that each of the railing infill assemblies 1050 extends across the railing gap 1099 and is coupled to and extends between two adjacent ones of the post systems 1100. In the exemplified embodiment, each of the railing infill assemblies 1050 may comprise a plurality of slats 1800.

The structural posts 1200 and the corner covers 1300 may be integrally formed, although the corner covers 1300 may also be detachably coupled to the structural posts 1200 as with the prior described embodiment. In this embodiment, all four of the corner covers 1300 may be coupled to the structural posts 1200 prior to attaching the slats 1800 to the configurable post assembly 1299 (which is the combination of the structural posts 1200 and the corner covers 1300). However, this may not be required in all embodiments and it may be possible to modify the order of assembly/installation of the various components. In some embodiments, at least two of the corner covers 1300 may be coupled to the structural posts 1200 before the slats 1800 and the slat spacers 1900 are attached to the configurable post assembly 1299, such that edge portions of the slats 1800 and the slat spacers 1900 are positioned into a longitudinal gap 1398 between the two corner covers 1300 that are coupled to the structural posts 1200. The cover plates 1400 may be located within the other longitudinal gaps 1398 that are not left open for the slats 1800 and spacers 1900.

The slats 1800 may be formed from any desired material, including wood, engineered wood, metal, plastic, or the like. Each of the slats 1800 is elongated in a horizontal direction between a first end 1801 and a second end 1802. The slats 1800 may comprise a first end portion 1803 which comprises the first end 1801 and a second end portion 1804 which comprises the second end 1802. The slats 1800 may comprise a front surface 1805 and a rear surface 1806 which form major surfaces of the slats 1800 and extend between the first and second ends 1801, 1802. The slats 1800 may comprise a top edge 1807 and a bottom edge 1808 opposite the top edge 1807. The front and rear surfaces 1805, 1806 may be planar and parallel to one another. However, in alternative embodiments the front and/or rear surfaces 1805, 1806 may not be planar, but may instead have any desired texture, ribs, recesses, waves, or the like to create a desired aesthetic. The front and/or rear surfaces 1805, 1806 are generally the surfaces which are exposed and seen by a viewer and thus they generate the aesthetic of the system. The color, texture, and other appearance of the slats 1800 may be modified to form a desired aesthetic.

In the exemplified embodiment, the top edge 1807 of the slats 1800 comprises a groove 1809 that extends from the first end 1801 to the second end 1802. Similarly, the bottom edge 1808 of the slats 1800 comprises a groove 1810 that extends from the first end 1801 to the second end 1802. The grooves 1809, 1810 may be omitted in some embodiments. In alternative embodiments, the top edge 1807 may comprise a groove and the bottom edge 1808 may comprise a protrusion so that the bottom edge 1808 of an upper slat 1800 may nest within the groove in the top edge 1807 of an immediately adjacent lower slat 1800. Alternatively, the top edge 1807 may comprise the protrusion and the bottom edge 1808 may comprise the groove. In still other embodiments, the top and/or bottom edges 1807, 1808 may be flat and/or planar and may not have grooves or protrusions at all.

The plurality of slats 1800 within each of the railing infill assemblies 1050 are configured to be slidably nested within the longitudinal gaps 1398 of two adjacent ones of the post assemblies 1100. Furthermore, the plurality of slats 1800 within each of the railing infill assemblies 1050 are configured to be arranged in a vertical stack. That is, the slats 1800 are stacked so that the first and second edges 1801, 1802 of each slat 1800 are aligned and the bottom edge 1808 of each slat 1800 is adjacent to the top edge 1807 of another slat 1800. The bottom and top edges 1807, 1808 of adjacent slats 1800 may be maintained in a spaced apart manner by the slat spacers 1900, the details of which will be provided below.

Referring to FIG. 15A, the slat spacers 1900 will be further described. The slat spacers 1900 each comprise a horizontal section 1901, a first vertical side leg 1902 located on a first side of the horizontal section 1901, and a second vertical side leg 1903 located on a second side of the horizontal section 1901. The first and second vertical side legs 1902 may have upper portions 1905 that extend upwardly from the horizontal section 1901 and lower portions 1906 that extend downwardly from the horizontal section 1901. Thus, the horizontal section 1901 comprises an axis Y-Y, and the upper portions 1905 are located on one side of the axis Y-Y and the lower portions 1906 are located on the opposite side of the axis Y-Y. The slat spacers 1900 may have an H-shape, as shown.

The upper portions 1905 of the first and second vertical side legs 1902, 1903 and the horizontal sections 1901 collectively define an upper slat receiving slot 1910. The upper slat receiving slot 1910 is specifically defined between an upper edge 1911 of the horizontal section 1901, an inner edge 1912 of the upper portion 1905 of the first vertical side leg 1902, and an inner edge 1913 of the upper portion 1905 of the second vertical side leg 1902. The upper slat receiving slot 1910 may be sized and configured to receive a lower portion of one of the slats 1800. That is, the lower portion of one of the slats 1800 may nest within the upper slat receiving slot 1910 with the upper portions 1905 of the first and second vertical side legs 1902 extending along portions of the front and rear surfaces 1805, 1806 of the slat. The lower portions 1906 of the first and second vertical side legs 1902, 1903 and the horizontal sections 1901 collectively define a lower slat receiving slot 1920. The lower slat receiving slot 1920 is specifically defined between a lower edge 1921 of the horizontal section 1901, an inner edge 1922 of the lower portion 1906 of the first vertical side leg 1902, and an inner edge 1923 of the lower portion 1906 of the second vertical side leg 1902. The lower slat receiving slot 1920 may be sized and configured to receive an upper portion of one of the slats 1800. That is, the upper portion of one of the slats 1800 may nest within the lower slat receiving slot 1920 with the lower portions 1906 of the first and second vertical side legs 1902 extending along portions of the front and rear surfaces 1805, 1806 of the slat.

The first vertical side leg 1902 of the slat spacer 1900 may have an outer edge 1930. Furthermore, the slat spacer 1900 may comprise a first side edge portion 1931 that comprises the outer edge 1930 of the first vertical side leg 1902. The first side edge portion 1931 may also comprise a portion of the front and rear surfaces of the first vertical side leg 1902 that are adjacent to the outer edge 1930. The second vertical side leg 1902 of the slat spacer 1900 may have an outer edge 1932. Furthermore, the slat spacer 1900 may comprise a second side edge portion 1933 that comprises the outer edge 1932 of the second vertical side leg 1902 of the slat spacer 1900. The second side edge portion 1933 may also comprise a portion of the front and rear surfaces of the second vertical side leg 1902 that are adjacent to the outer edge 1932. The slat spacer 1900 may comprise a first engagement portion 1940 that comprises the first side edge portion 1931 and a second engagement portion 1950 that comprises the second side edge portion 1933.

FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view which illustrates the engagement between the slat spacers 1900 and the configurable post assembly 1299. In the exemplified embodiment, each of the slat spacers 1900 is configured to engage or mate with two of the corner covers 300 of the configurable post assembly 1299. The slat spacers 1900 may be coupled to the configurable post assembly 1299 in a manner which allows axial movement between the slat spacers 1900 and the configurable post assembly 1299 while prohibiting radial separation of the plurality of slat spacers 1900 from the configurable post assembly 1299. In particular, the corner covers 1300 (which are identical to the corner covers 300) comprise the first engagement feature 1326 on the first sidewall 1320 and the second engagement feature 1336 on the second sidewall 1330. The first and second engagement features 1326, 1336 may be female structures, such as grooves as previously described.

The slat spacers 1900 may comprise the first engagement feature 1940 and the second engagement feature 1950, as previously described. The slat spacers 1900 may be positioned within the longitudinal gap 1398 so that the first engagement feature 1940 of the slat spacer 1900 engages the first engagement feature 1326 of one of the corner covers 1300 on a first side of the longitudinal gap 1398 while the second engagement feature 1950 of the slat spacer 1900 engages the second engagement feature 1336 of another one of the corner covers 1300 on a second side of the longitudinal gap 1398. With reference to the exemplified embodiment, this means that the first engagement feature 1940 of the slat spacers 1900 nests within the groove of the first engagement feature 1326 of the corner cover 1300 while the second engagement feature 1950 of the slat spacers 1900 nests within the groove of the second engagement feature 1336 of the corner cover 1300. In other embodiments, the slat spacers 1900 may comprise grooves and the corner covers 1300 may comprise protrusions or ribs that nest therein.

Thus, it should be appreciated that the slat spacers 1900 may be positioned into the longitudinal gaps 1398 while the first and second engagement features 1940, 1950 of the slat spacers 1900 are in engagement with the first and second engagement features 1326, 1336 of the two adjacent corner covers 1300 which bound the longitudinal gap 1398 that the slat spacer 1900 is being positioned into. The slat spacers 1900 may be positioned into the longitudinal gaps 1398 by sliding the slat spacers 1900 downwardly within the longitudinal gaps 1398 from a top opening in a top end of the configurable post structure 1299. The slat spacers 1900 when so positioned may be capable of moving axially relative to the configurable post assembly 1299, but may be radially retained and prevented from moving radially relative to the configurable post assembly 1299. Thus, in an embodiment, the only way to remove the slat spacers 1900 from the longitudinal gaps 1398 may be to slide the slat spacers 1900 back upwardly through the longitudinal gaps 1398 for removal from the top end of the longitudinal gaps 1398.

Referring to FIGS. 17A-17E sequentially, the assembly of the railing system 1000 will be described in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The first step in the process is to assemble the configurable post assembly 1299 by coupling at least two or more of the corner covers 1300 to the structural post 1200. In the exemplified embodiment, there are four of the corner covers 1300 coupled to the structural post 1200, but there could be fewer in other embodiments. As noted throughout, there are longitudinal gaps 1398 between each adjacent pair of the corner covers 1300. Some of those longitudinal gaps 1398 are left open to be filled later with the slats 1800 and the slat spacers 1900. However, for those longitudinal gaps 1398 that will not be used by the slats 1800 and slat spacers 1900, a cover plate 1400 may be coupled to the configurable post assembly 1299. This process of attaching the corner covers 1300 to the structural posts 1200 to form the configurable post assembly 1299 and the process of attaching the cover plates 1400 to the configurable post assembly 1299 is the same as described above and is therefore not repeated here in great detail in the interest of brevity. Thus, in FIG. 17A the post assembly 1000 is already formed by attaching the structural post 1200, four of the corner covers 1300, and two of the cover panels 1400 together in the manner described previously.

FIG. 17A illustrates one of the slat spacers 1900 positioned above one of the longitudinal gaps 1398 that is not filled with one of the cover panels 1400 in preparation for positioning the slat spacer 1900 therein. Thus, in accordance with the exemplified embodiment, one of the slat spacers 1900 is positioned into the selected longitudinal gap 1398 first, followed by one of the slats 1800, and then another one of the spacers 1900, and so on as described below. However, in an alternative embodiment one of the slats 1800 may be positioned within the selected longitudinal gap 1398, followed by one of the spacers 1900 and then another one of the slats 1800 and so on. Thus, whether a slat 1800 or a spacer 1900 is inserted into the selected longitudinal gap 1398 first may be a matter of choice by the installer of property owner.

Next, as shown in FIG. 17A, the slat spacer 1900 is inserted into the selected longitudinal gap 1398. The slat spacer 1800 may be inserted into the longitudinal gap 1398 through a top opening at a top end of the post system 1100, and then slid downwardly within the longitudinal gap 1398 to a bottom end thereof. The first and second engagement features 1940, 1950 (see FIG. 16) of the slat spacer 1900 nest within the first and second engagement features 1326, 1336 (see FIG. 16) of the two corner covers 1300 which define and bound the selected longitudinal gap 1398 as the slat spacer 1900 slides downwardly within the longitudinal gap 1398. The slat spacer 1900 is prevented from being removed radially from the longitudinal gap 1398, and can only be removed therefrom by sliding the slat spacer 1900 back upwardly to the top end. Although not shown, a slat spacer 1900 should also be positioned into the longitudinal gap 1398 of an adjacently positioned but spaced apart post system 1100 (see, for example, FIG. 14 illustrating that the slats 1800 extend between two adjacently positioned but spaced apart post systems 1100).

With continued reference to FIG. 17A, next, one of the slats 1800 is positioned for insertion into the longitudinal gaps 1398 of two adjacent post systems 1100 (although, again, only one of the post systems 1100 is shown in the drawings, it should be readily understood that an identical post system 1100 is positioned adjacent the opposite end of the slat 1800. Specifically, the slat 1800 is positioned with the first end portion 1803 aligned with and positioned above the longitudinal gap 1398 where the slat spacer 1900 was previously positioned. The second end portion 1804 of the slat 1800 would also be aligned with the longitudinal slot 198 of another one of the post systems 1100.

Next, referring to FIGS. 17C and 18, the first end portion 1803 of the slat 1800 is inserted into the longitudinal gap 1398 through the open top end thereof. The second end portion 1804 of the slat 1800 is simultaneously inserted into the longitudinal slot of an adjacently positioned post system 1100. The slat 1800 is then slid downwardly within the longitudinal slots 1398 until the bottom end 1808 of the slat 1800 abuts against the upper edge 1911 of the horizontal section 1901 of the slat spacer 1901 that was previously inserted into the longitudinal gap 1398. As such, a bottom portion 1811 of the slat 1800 nests within the upper slat receiving slot 1910 of the slat spacer 1900 that was previously positioned into the longitudinal gap 1398. Next, another one of the slat spacers 1900 is positioned above the longitudinal gap 1398 for preparation to insert the slat spacer 1900 into the longitudinal gap 1398. FIG. 17C illustrates that next slat spacer 1900 in preparation for it being inserted into the longitudinal gap 1398.

Next, referring to FIGS. 17D and 18, that second slat spacer 1900 has been inserted into the longitudinal gap 1398. As such, the upper portion 1812 of the slat 1800 is received within the lower slat receiving slot 1920 of the second slat spacer 1900. Next, a second slat 1800 is inserted into the longitudinal gap 1398 until the lower portion 1811 of that second slat 1800 is received within the upper slat receiving slot 1910 of the second slat spacer 1900.

This process continues until a sufficient number of the slats 1800 and the slat spacers 1900 are positioned within the longitudinal gaps 1398 of the adjacent post systems 1100 to substantially fill the longitudinal gaps 1398 in the axial direction. FIG. 17E illustrates this having been achieved. The final step in the process is to attach the post covers 1450 and post caps 1455 to the post system 1100 (see FIG. 15).

Because there is a slat spacer 1900 positioned between each adjacent one of the slats 1800 in the vertical stack of the slats 1800, the slats 1800 are maintained with a horizontal gap 1850 in between the bottom end 1808 of one of the slats 1800 and the top end 1807 of an adjacent one of the slats 1800. Specifically, each slat 1800 may be spaced apart from each adjacent slat 1800 by the horizontal gap 1850 which may have a height which is substantially equal to a thickness of the horizontal section 1901 of the slat spacer 1901 as measured between the upper and lower edges 1911, 1921 of the horizontal section 1901. In the exemplified embodiment, the slat spacers 1900 may be configured to retain the slats 1800 in a vertical orientation (i.e., with the front and rear surfaces 1805, 1806 of the slats 1800 oriented vertically). The slat spacers 1900 may further prevent or prohibit tilting of the slats 1800 when the slats 1800 are mounted in the vertical stack. Specifically, because bottom and top portions 1811, 1812 of the slats 1800 nest within the upper and lower slat receiving slots 1910, 1920 of the slat spacers 1900, the slats 1800 are prevented from tilting and are maintained in the vertical orientation.

Referring to FIGS. 19 and 20, a railing system 2000 is illustrated in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The railing system 2000 generally comprises a plurality of post systems or post assemblies 2100 that are attached to a support structure 2020 and arranged in a spaced apart manner along an edge of the support structure 2020. The post assemblies 2100 are generally identical to the post systems 100 described above. The post assemblies 2100 generally comprise a structural post 2200, one or more corner covers 2300 that are either integrally formed with or configured to be coupled to the structural post 2200 to form longitudinal corner sections of the post assembly 2100, and one or more cover plates 2400 that are positioned within longitudinal gaps 2398 defined between adjacent ones of the corner covers 2300.

The structural post 2200 may be identical to the structural post 200 described above, and thus will not be described in detail here it being understood that the description of the structural post 200 is applicable. The corner covers 2300 may be identical to the corner covers 300 described above, and thus will not be described in detail here it being understood that the description of the corner covers 2300 is applicable. In an embodiment, the corner covers 2300 may be integrally formed with the structural post 2200. In another embodiment, the corner covers 2300 may be distinct and separate from the structural post 2200 and may be configured to be detachably coupled to the structural post 2200. The cover plates 2400 may be identical to the cover plates 400 described above, and thus will not be described in detail here it being understood that the description of the corner covers 2300 is applicable. The cover plates 2400 may be configured for detachable coupling to the configurable post assembly formed by the combination of the structural post 2200 and one or more of the corner covers 2300.

Finally, the coupling and engagement of various features of the structural posts 2200, the corner covers 2300, and the cover plates 2400 may be the same as described above with reference to the structural posts 200, the corner covers 300, and the cover plates 400, and thus reliance on the prior description is fully applicable to this embodiment. As noted, the corner covers 2300 are coupled to (or integral with) the structural posts 2200 and form longitudinal corner sections of the post assemblies 2100. The corner covers 2300 are spaced apart from one another to define the longitudinal gaps 2398 within which other components are positioned. The components and techniques for assembling the post assemblies 2100 and mounting them to the support structure 2020 may be the same as that described above and will not be repeated here in the interest of brevity. The post assemblies 2100 may also include post covers 2450 and post caps 2455 which are identical to the components of the same name described in the earlier embodiments. While not shown, a post base may also be used to couple the post assemblies 2100 to the support structure 2020 in the same manner as with the prior described embodiments.

The railing system 2000 further comprises a plurality of cable infill retention plates 2500 and a plurality of cable infills 2600. The cable infill retention plates 2500 will be described in detail below, and are configured to be coupled to one of the post assemblies 2100 of the railing system 2000. In particular, the cable infill retention plates 2500 are configured to be coupled to one of the post assemblies 2100 within one of the longitudinal gaps 2398 between adjacent ones of the corner covers 2300 which are not filled by the cover plates 2400. The post assemblies 2100 which are adjacently positioned may have longitudinal gaps 2398 that face one another so that the cable infills 2600 may extend in the intervening railing space between the two post assemblies 2100. Specifically, the cable infills 2600, which will be described in more detail below, are configured to be coupled to and extend between two of the cable infill retention plates 2500 so that when the two cable infill retention plates 2500 are coupled to two adjacent ones of the post assemblies 2100, the cable infills 2600 extend between the two post assemblies 2100 as shown. In the exemplified embodiment, there are ten of the cable infills 2600 arranged in a spaced apart manner to form the railing boundary of the railing system 2000, although the exact number and the spacing between the cable infills 2600 is not to be limiting of the invention and more or less than ten of the cable infills 2600 at varying spaces may be provided in other embodiments.

The railing system 2000 may further comprise an upper infill member 2800 which is configured to be coupled to the two adjacent post assemblies 2100 and extend therebetween. The upper infill member 2800 may comprise a first engagement feature 2810 at a first end 2801 thereof and a second engagement feature 2820 at a second end 2802 thereof. The upper infill member 2800 may be coupled to and extend between two adjacently positioned post assemblies 2100, with the first and second engagement features 2810, 2820 positioned within the selected longitudinal gaps 2398 thereof. The first and second engagement features 2810, 2820 may engage features of the structural post 2200 and/or the corner covers 2300 which bound/define the longitudinal gaps 2398 within which the first and second engagement features 2810, 2820 are positioned. The first and second engagement features 2810, 2820 may rest atop of a top end of the cable infill retention plates 2500 to facilitate the axial positioning of the upper infill member 2800 as shown for example in FIG. 19. The first and second engagement features 2810, 2820 may comprise a locking wedge to facilitate the tightening of the upper infill member 2800 in place on the post assemblies 2100. Alternatively, a clamping block having a set screw may be used to secure the upper infill member 2800 to the posts 2100.

Referring to FIGS. 20-23, the cable infill retention plates 2500 and the cable infills 2600 will be further described. The cable infill retention plates 2500 comprise an outer wall 2510 having an outer surface 2511 and an inner surface 2512, a first sidewall 2520 extending from a first side of the outer wall 2510, and a second sidewall 2530 extending from a second side of the outer wall 2510. The first sidewall 2520 comprises a first engagement feature 2521 and the second sidewall 2530 comprises a second engagement feature 2531. In the exemplified embodiment, the first engagement feature 2521 comprises a first flange extending outwardly from the first sidewall 2520 in a direction away from the second sidewall 2530 and the second engagement feature 2531 comprises a second flange extending outwardly away from the second sidewall 2530 in a direction away from the first sidewall 2520. The outer wall 2510, the first sidewall 2520, the first engagement feature 2521, the second sidewall 2530, and the second engagement feature 2531 may all be elongated from a bottom end 2501 of the cable infill retention plate 2500 to a top end 2502 of the cable infill retention plate 2500. The first and second engagement features 2521, 2531 may mate with engagement features of the corner covers 2300 to facilitate the attachment of the cable infill retention plates 2500 to a configurable post assembly 2299 which is formed by the structural post 2200 and one or more of the corner covers 2300, as described further below.

The cable infill retention plates 2500 further comprise a plurality of apertures 2560 that extend from the outer surface 2511 of the outer wall 2510 to the inner surface 2512 of the outer wall 2510. The plurality of apertures 2560 are arranged along the outer wall 2510 in a vertically or axially spaced apart manner. In the exemplified embodiment, there are ten of the apertures 2560, but different numbers of apertures may be used in other embodiments. The number of apertures 2560 may match or correspond to the number of cable infills 2600, and the cable infills 2600 may be coupled to the cable infill retention plates 2500 via the apertures 2560, as described further below.

As noted above, the cable infills 2600 are configured to be coupled to the cable infill retention plates 2500 via the apertures 2560. Then, when the cable infill retention plates 2500 are coupled to two adjacent post assemblies 2100, the cable infills 2600 extend across a railing space formed between the two adjacent post assemblies 2100 to form a railing barrier that prevents a person from easily passing through the space between the two adjacent post assemblies 2100. Each of the cable infills 2600 comprises an identical set of structures and components and thus will be described together with reference to one of the cable infills 2600.

The cable infill 2600 may comprise a cable 2610, a first cable retention assembly 2700, and a second cable retention assembly 2900. The cable 2610 may comprise a first end 2611 and a second end 2612, with the cable 2610 being elongated between the first and second ends 2611, 2612. The cable 2610 may comprise a first cable section 2620 and a second cable section 2630. The first and second cable sections 2620, 2630 may be detachably coupled to one another, the details of which will be provided below. The first cable section 2620 may comprise the first end 2611 of the cable 2610 and a third end 2621. The second cable section 2630 may comprise the second cable end 2612 and a fourth end 2631. The first and second cable sections 2620, 2630 may be coupled together with the third end 2621 of the first cable section 2620 adjacent to the fourth end 2631 of the second cable section 2630. The third and fourth ends 2621, 2631 are hidden behind other structures in FIGS. 20-22, but are shown and called out in FIG. 23.

A first coupler 2640 may be fixed to the third end 2621 of the first cable section 2620 and a second coupler 2650 may be fixed to the fourth end 2631 of the second cable section 2630 to facilitate the coupling of the first and second cable sections 2620, 2630 to one another. Specifically, the first and second couplers 2640, 2650 may be configured to be coupled together in an adjustable manner to adjust an amount of tension present in the cable 2610 as it spans across the railing space between the two adjacent post assemblies 2200. As noted, the first and second couplers 2640, 2650 may be fixed to the first and second cable sections 2620, 2630 respectively, meaning that the first and second couplers 2640, 2650 may not be able to be readily separated from the first and second cable sections 2620, 2630.

In the exemplified embodiment, the first coupler 2640 comprises a fixed swage component 2641 and a rotatable turnbuckle 2642. The fixed swage component 2641 may be fixed directly to the third end 2621 of the first cable section 2620. The rotatable turnbuckle 2642 may comprise a first end 2643 and a second end 2644 opposite the first end 2643. The rotatable turnbuckle 2642 may comprise an inner surface 2645 defining a cavity 2646 that extends from an opening in the first end 2643 to an opening in the second end 2644. The inner surface 2645 may comprise a threaded portion 2647 that extends from the second end 2644 towards the first end 2643. The threaded portion 2647 may terminate short of the first end 2643 such that the inner surface 2645 may comprise a non-threaded portion. The rotatable turnbuckle 2642 may further comprise a locking tab feature 2648 protruding from the inner surface 2643 inwardly into the cavity 2646. The locking tab feature 2648 may engage or abut an end of the fixed swage component 2641 to prevent the rotatable turnbuckle 2642 from becoming detached from the first cable section 2620. Specifically, while the rotatable turnbuckle 2642 may be capable of moving or sliding along the first cable section 2620 in the direction of the first end 2611, the rotatable turnbuckle 2642 may be prevented from sliding or moving further towards the third end 2621 than the position shown in FIG. 23 due to the abutment of the locking tab feature 2648 with an end of the fixed swage component 2641. Thus, the fixed swage component 2641 may be positioned within the cavity 2646 of the rotatable turnbuckle 2642 and may function to retain the rotatable turnbuckle 2642 along the first cable section 2620 and prevent the rotatable turnbuckle 2642 from sliding off the first cable section 2620 at the third end 2621.

The second coupler 2650 may comprise a swage portion 2651 that is fixed to the fourth end 2631 of the second cable section 2630 of the cable 2610 and a threaded rod portion 2652 extending from the swage portion 2651. The swage portion 2651 may comprise a cavity 2654 within which an end portion of the second cable section 2630 which comprises the fourth end 2631 is disposed. As noted, the swage portion 2651 may be fixed to the second cable section 2631 so that the second coupler 2650 cannot be readily detached from the second cable section 2630. The threaded rod portion 2652 may comprise a threaded outer surface 2653.

The first and second couplers 2640, 2650 may be configured to be coupled together by inserting the threaded rod portion 2652 of the second coupler 2650 into the cavity 2646 of the rotatable turnbuckle 2642 of the first coupler 2640. Then, the rotatable turnbuckle 2642 may be rotated relative to the first cable section 2620 and relative to the threaded rod portion 2652 of the second coupler 2650 to engage the threaded outer surface 2653 of the second couplers 2650 with the threaded portion 2647 of the inner surface 2646 of the rotatable turnbuckle 2642 of the first coupler 2640. As should be appreciated, the more the rotatable turnbuckle 2642 is rotated in one direction, the further the first coupler 2640 will move into the cavity 2646 and the shorter the overall length of the cable 2610. The rotatable turnbuckle 2642 may be rotated in an opposite direction which causes the second coupler 2650 to move away from the third end 2621 of the first cable section 2620 which will increase the overall length of the cable 2610. Thus, the engagement between the first and second couplers 2640, 2650 may be used to adjust the length of the cable 2610 and/or adjust an amount of tension in the cable 2610 as it spans the railing space between two adjacent post assemblies 2100.

The first cable retention assembly 2700 may be located at the first end 2601 of the cable 2610 and may be used to attach the first end 2601 of the cable 2610 to one of the cable infill retention plates 2500. The first cable retention assembly 2700 may comprise a first end component 2710, a first retainer 2720, and a first resilient element 2730. The first end component may comprise a first portion or first component 2711 that is configured to be fixed to the first end 2601 of the cable 2600 and a second portion or second component 2712 that is configured to be positioned between an end of the first portion 2711 and the resilient element 2730. The second portion 2712 may form a flange that contacts the first resilient element 2730 when the cable infill 2600 is assembled.

The first retainer 2720 may be configured to be slidably mounted to the first cable section 2620 of the cable 2610. The first retainer 2720 may comprise a ball portion 2721 and a post portion 2722. The first retainer 2720 may further comprise a first passageway 2723 that extends through the first retainer 2720 from a first end 2724 of the first retainer 2720 to a second end 2725 of the first retainer 2720. The passageway 2723 may extend through both of the ball portion 2721 and the post portion 2722. The first passageway 2723 may comprise a first passageway section 2727 located within the ball portion 2721 and having a first diameter and a second passageway section 2728 located within the post portion 2722 and having a second diameter. The first diameter of the passageway 2723 may be larger than the second diameter of the passageway 2723. The first retainer 2720 may comprise a first shoulder 2726 located within the passageway 2723 between the first and second passageway sections 2727, 2728. The shoulder 2726 may be an annular wall or ledge that extends inwardly from an inner surface of the ball portion 2721 to reduce the diameter of the passageway 2723 as shown.

The first resilient element 2730 may be a spring. The first resilient element 2730 may be a tension spring. The first resilient element 2730 may take on other forms in alternative embodiments, such as being other types of springs or other types of resilient elements having a similar function to a spring. The first resilient element 2730 may be slidably mounted to the first cable section 2720 and positioned between the first end component 2710 which is fixed to the first cable section 2720 and the first retainer 2720 which is slidable relative to the first cable section 2720.

As best shown in FIG. 23, when the cable infill 2600 is assembled, the first resilient element 2730 may nest within the first passageway section 2727 of the first retainer 2720. The first resilient element 2730 is positioned between the shoulder 2726 of the first retainer 2720 and the first end component 2710, and more specifically the flange portion 2712 of the first end component 2710. As such, the first resilient element 2730 is configured to be compressed between the first end component 2710 and the first retainer 2320. Thus, the flange portion 2712 of the first end component 2710 may contact a first end of the first resilient element 2730 and press a second end of the first resilient element 2730 into contact with the first shoulder 2726 of the first retainer 2720. As such, the first resilient element 2730 may be compressed into a biased state by the first retainer 2720 and the first end component 2710, and may exert a tensioning force on the cable 2610 when in the biased state.

As shown in FIG. 22, the second cable retention assembly 2900 is located at the second end 2602 of the cable 2610. The second cable retention assembly 2900 may comprise a second end component 2910, a second retainer 2920, and a second resilient element 2930. The second end component 2910 may be configured to be fixed to the second end 2602 of the cable 2620. The second retainer 2920 may have an identical structure and shape to the first retainer 2720, and thus the description of the first retainer 2720 provided above is applicable to the second retainer 2920. The second resilient member 2930 may be a tension spring or may take on other structural forms. The second resilient member 2930 may be located within an internal passageway of the second retainer 2920 and may be compressed between the second end component 2910 and the second retainer 2920 when the cable infill 2600 is assembled as described further below. The second resilient member 2930 is configured to exert a tensioning force on the cable 210 when the second resilient member 2930 is in a biased state.

Minor modifications to the various components coupled to the ends of the cable 2610 may be used in accordance with alternative embodiments. For example, referring to FIG. 23A, there may be a retainer 2390 having a ball portion 2391 and a post portion 2392, with the ball portion 2392 defining an interior space. A washer 2923 may be positioned against the floor of the interior space of the ball portion 2391. A spring 2394 may be placed around a post portion of a closed end swage 2935 that is clamped to an end portion of the cable 2610.

Referring to FIGS. 24A-24H in sequence, a method of assembling the railing system 2000 will be described in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The assembly method is not limited to the exact sequence as shown and described, and alternative sequences for the assembly may be used in other embodiments as should be readily appreciated by persons skilled in the art.

FIG. 24A illustrates the first cable section 2620 of the cable 2610 with the first coupler 2640 fixed thereto. As noted previously, the first coupler 2640 may comprise the fixed swage component 2641 and the rotatable turnbuckle 2642, although only the rotatable turnbuckle 2642 is visible in this view because the fixed swage component 2641 is covered by the rotatable turnbuckle 2642. In FIG. 24A, the first cable retention assembly 2700 comprising the first end component 2710, the first retainer 2720, and the first resilient element 2730 are positioned in preparation for attachment or positioning over the first cable section 2620.

Next, referring to FIG. 24B, the first cable retention assembly 2700 is positioned on or around the first cable section 2620. Specifically, the first retainer 2720 is first slid onto the first end 2601 of the first cable section 2620 by inserting the first end 2601 of the first cable section 2620 through the first passageway 2723. Next, the first resilient element 2730 is slid onto the first end 2601 of the first cable section 2620 by sliding the first end 2601 of the first cable section 2620 through a passageway defined by the first resilient element 2730. The first resilient element 2730 may be slid onto the first cable section 2620 until the first resilient element 2730 is located within the first passageway section 2727 of the first passageway 2723 of the first retainer 2720. Finally, the first end component 2710 is slid onto the first end 2601 of the first cable section 2620 by sliding the first end 2601 of the first cable section 2620 through a passageway defined by the first end component 2710. The first end component 2710 is then fixed to the first end 2601 of the first cable section 2620, such as by crimping the first end component 2710 around the first cable section 2620 or using other techniques, such as for example without limitation using adhesives, welding, or the like.

The first end component 2710 may have an outer diameter which is greater than a diameter of the passageway of the first resilient element 2730. Thus, when the three parts of the cable retention assembly 2700 are positioned as shown in FIG. 24B, the first resilient element 2730 and the first retainer 2720 are prevented from sliding off the first cable section 2620. Specifically, the first end component 2610 prevents the first resilient element 2730 from sliding off the first end 2601 of the first cable section 2620 and the first coupler 2640 prevents the first retainer 2720 from sliding off the third end 2621 of the first cable section 2620. However, at this stage of the assembly process, the first resilient element 2730 and the first retainer 2620 may be capable of sliding along the first cable section 2620 between the first coupler 2640 and the first end component 2710. However, the fixing of the first coupler 2640 to one end of the first cable section 2620 and the fixing of the end component 2710 to the opposite end of the first cable section 2620 maintains the first resilient element 2730 and the first retainer 2720 on the first cable section 2620.

Still referring to FIG. 24B, the next step in the process is to insert the first cable section 2620 into one of the apertures 2560 in one of the cable infill retention plates 2500. As shown in FIG. 24B, this is achieved by positioning the first cable section 2620 with the first coupler 2640 facing the inner surface 2512 of the cable infill retention plate 2500 and in alignment with one of the apertures 2560. Next, the first cable section 2620 may be moved through the aperture 2560 with the first coupler 2640 leading the way until the outer surface of the ball portion 2721 of the first retainer 2720 abuts against the inner surface 2512 of the cable infill retention plate 2500. That is, the maximum diameter of the ball portion 2721 of the first retainer 2720 is greater than the diameter of the aperture 2560 so that the ball portion 2721 cannot fit all the way through the aperture 2620. Thus, as shown in FIGS. 23, 25, and 26, the ball portion 2721 of the first retainer 2720 is sized and configured to at least partially next within one of the apertures 2560 of the cable infill retention plate 2500. The ball portion 2721 of the first retainer 2700 further engages an edge 2561 of the cable infill retention plate 2500 that defines the aperture 2560. Once the first cable section 2620 is inserted through the aperture 2620, a majority of the length of the first cable section 2620 protrudes from the outer surface 2511 of the cable infill retention plate 2500 with only a portion of the ball portion 2721 of the first retainer 2700, the first resilient element 2730, and the end component 2710 being located on the inner surface 2512 of the cable infill retention plate 2500.

Referring to FIGS. 24C and 24D, the coupling of the second cable section 2630 to the second cable retention assembly 2900 will be described. Here, the second end 2602 of the cable 2610 (formed by the second cable section 2630) is inserted through, in this order, the passageway of the second retainer 2920, the passageway of the second resilient element 2930, and the passageway of the second end component 2910. The second end component 2910 is then fixed to the second end 2602 of the cable 2610. As such, the second retainer 2920 and the second resilient element 2930 are capable of sliding along the second cable section 2630 between the second end component 2910 and the second coupler 2650. However, the second retainer 2920 and the second resilient element 2930 are prevented from sliding off the second cable section 2630 due to the second end component 2910 and the second coupler 2650 which have dimensions that prevent the second retainer 2920 and the second resilient element 2930 from being disengaged/detached from the second cable section 2630.

Once the second cable retention assembly 2900 is attached to the second cable section 2630 as shown in FIG. 24D, the second cable section 2630 is prepared for insertion through one of the apertures 2560 of another one of the cable infill retention plates 2500. That is, the cable infill retention plate 2500 shown in FIG. 24D is a second cable infill retention plate 2500 as compared to the one shown in FIG. 24B. The second cable retention assembly 2900 is inserted through one of the apertures 2560 in the cable infill retention plate 2500 with the second coupler 2650 leading the way. The second cable retention assembly 2900 continues to be passed through the aperture 2560 until the ball portion of the second retainer 2920 abuts against an edge of the cable infill retention plate 2500 which surrounds the aperture 2560. The second retainer 2920 cannot be pulled through the aperture 2560 due to the maximum diameter of the ball portion of the second retainer 2920 being larger than the diameter of the aperture 2560.

FIG. 24E illustrates the first cable section 2620 extending through the aperture 2560 of one of the cable infill retention plates 2500 and the second cable section 2620 extending through the aperture 2560 of another one of the cable infill retention plates 2500. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 24E, the next step in the assembly process may be to couple the first coupler 2640 that is attached to the first cable section 2620 to the second coupler 2650 that is attached to the second cable section 2630. This may be achieved by engaging the external screw threads of the second coupler 2650 with the internal screw threads of the first coupler 2640. However, other techniques for this attachment may be used, including press fit or the like. However, the threaded engagement may be useful to allow adjustments to the tension and/or length of the cable in accordance with the disclosure set forth herein. It should be appreciated that pulling the cable 2610 away from the cable infill retention plate 2500 on the right will cause the first resilient element 2730 to be altered into a biased state whereby the first resilient element 2730 will exert a tensioning force on the cable 2610. Similarly, pulling the cable 2610 away from the cable infill retention plate 2500 on the left will cause the second resilient element 2930 to be altered into a biased state whereby the second resilient element 2930 will exert a tensioning force on the cable 2610.

Next, referring to FIG. 24F, the cable infill retention plates 2500 are engaged with the two adjacent but spaced apart post assemblies 2100 so that the cable infills 2600 span across the railing space which exists between the two post assemblies 2100. As noted, the post assemblies 2100 comprise longitudinal gaps 2398 which are not filled by any other component and which face one another. Thus, one of the cable infill retention plates 2500 is inserted into the longitudinal gap 2398 of one of the post assemblies 2100 and the other one of the cable infill retention plates 2500 is inserted into the longitudinal gap 2398 of the other one of the post assemblies 2100. And this step takes place after the previously discussed steps, and therefore the cable infills 2600 are already coupled to the two cable infill retention plates 2500 as shown.

In an embodiment, the cable infill retention plates 2500 are slid downwardly within the longitudinal gaps 2398 to couple the cable infill retention plates 2500 to the post assemblies 2100. Thus, the cable infill retention plates 2500 may be slidably coupled to the post assemblies 2100. Once attached, the cable infill retention plates 2500 may be prevented from being radially detached from the post assemblies 2100 and may instead only be able to be detached from the post assemblies 2100 by sliding the cable infill retention plates 2500 upwardly within the longitudinal gaps 2398.

Referring again back to FIG. 23, the engagement of the cable infill retention plates 2500 with the post assemblies 2100 will be described. In the exemplified embodiment, the first and second engagement features 2521, 2531 of the cable infill retention plate 2500 engage the first and second engagement features 2326, 2336 of the adjacent corner covers 2300 which bound/define the longitudinal gap 2398 within which the cable infill retention plate 2500 is located. More specifically, the first and second flanges of the first and second engagement features 2521, 2531 of the cable infill retention plates 2500 nest within the grooves of the first second engagement features 2326, 2336 of the corner covers 2300. Thus, in this embodiment the cable infill retention plates 2500 are slidably coupled directly to the adjacent corner covers 2300 which define the longitudinal gap 2398 within which the cable infill retention plates 2500 are positioned. In an alternative embodiment, the cable infill retention plates 2500 may engage or mate with features of the structural posts 2200 rather than the corner covers 2300 to achieve the attachment of the cable infill retention plates 2500 to the post assemblies 2100.

Next, referring to FIGS. 24G and 24H, the post covers 2450 and post caps 2455 are coupled to top ends of the post assemblies 2100. This locks the cable infill retention plates 2500 in the longitudinal gaps 2398 because they cannot be removed radially as described previously and once the post covers 2450 and the post caps 2455 are attached they also cannot be slid axially relative to the post assemblies 2100. The length or tension of the cable 2610 can then be adjusted by tightening or loosening the attachment between the first and second couplers 2640, 2650. Specifically, by rotating the rotatable turnbuckle 2642 of the first coupler 2640 relative to the second coupler 2650 the length of the cable 2610 may be adjusted, and therefore also the degree or force of tension (measured in Newtons) of the cable 2610 between the two post assemblies 2100.

FIGS. 25 and 26 are cross-sectional views illustrating the relationship of the various components described herein. The cable infill retention plates 2500 are coupled to the corner covers 2300 via the engagement of the various engagement features thereof as described above. The upper infill member 2800 has a lower notch 2805 that receives an upper portion of the cable infill retention plate 2500 to secure those components together. The first retainer 2720 sits within the aperture 2560 of the cable infill retention plate 2500. A portion of the first retainer 2720, the first resilient element 2730, and the first end component 2710 is located adjacent the inner surface 2512 of the cable infill retention plate 2500. The remainder of the first retainer 2720, and specifically the post portion 2722 thereof, is located on or protrudes from the outer surface 2511 of the cable infill retention plate 2500. The cable cannot be pulled fully through the aperture 2560 as described. However, because the ball portion 2721 of the first retainer 2720 nests within the aperture 2560, pivoting of the ball portion 2721 (which is round) within the aperture 2560 is possible.

As described above, adjusting the engagement between the first and second couplers 2640, 2650 may adjust an amount of tension in the cable 2610. When the cable 2610 is pulled tighter, the first and second end components 2710, 2910 apply a force onto their respective first and second resilient elements 2730, 2930. The first and second resilient elements 2730, 2930 may allow for a non-specific tensioning sequence. The first and second resilient elements 2730, 2930 may also allow for minimal or even no re-tensioning being required.

Turning to FIGS. 27 and 28, a railing system 3000 and a portion thereof are illustrated in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The railing system 3000 is substantially identical to the railing system 2000 except as noted. The railing system 3000 has a plurality of post assemblies 2100 attached to a support structure 2020 and arranged in a spaced apart manner along an edge of the support structure 2020. Each of the post assemblies 2100 are identical to the post assemblies 2100 discussed above. As noted previously, the post assemblies 2100 generally comprise a structural post 2200, one or more corner covers 2300 that are either integrally formed with or configured to be coupled to the structural post 2200 to form longitudinal corner sections of the post assembly 2100, and one or more cover plates 2400 that are positioned within longitudinal gaps 2398 defined between adjacent ones of the corner covers 2300.

The structural posts 2200, corner covers 2300, and cover plates 2400 are identical to the structural posts 2200, corner covers 2300, and cover plates 2400 described above, and thus will not be described in detail here. In addition, the components and techniques for assembling the post assemblies 2100 and mounting them to the support structure 2020 arc the same as those described above. The post assemblies 2100 may also include post covers 2450 and post caps 2455 which are identical to the components of the same name described in the earlier embodiments. A post base may also be used to couple the post assemblies 2100 to the support structure 2020 in the same manner as with the prior described embodiments.

The railing system 2000 further comprises a plurality of cable infills 2600 and a plurality of upper infill members 2800. As above, the cable infills 2600 are configured to be coupled to and extend between adjacent ones of the post assemblies 2100. In the exemplified embodiment, there are ten cable infills 2600 arranged in a spaced apart manner to form the railing boundary of the railing system 2000, although the exact number and the spacing between the cable infills 2600 is not to be limiting of the invention and more or less than ten of the cable infills 2600 at varying spaces may be provided in other embodiments. The upper infill members 2800 also extend between two adjacent post assemblies 2100. The upper infill members 2800 are coupled to adjacent post assemblies 2100 and are preferably located above the cable infills 2600. Optionally, the upper infill members 2800 may be omitted.

Finally, the railing system 2000 comprises a plurality of mid-span bars 3200, one of the mid-span bars 3200 located between adjacent post assemblies 2100. Optionally, more than one of the mid-span bars 3200 may be located between adjacent post assemblies 2100. In other configurations, some of the adjacent post assemblies 2100 may lack mid-span bars 3200. As illustrated, the mid-span bars 3200 are spaced and isolated from both the support structure 2020 and the adjacent post assemblies 2100. The mid-span bars 3200 are only supported by the cable infills 2600. Each of the cable infills 2600 extending between any two adjacent post assemblies 2100 is preferably coupled to the mid-span bar 3200, but in some implementations, only a portion of the cable infills 2600 may be connected to the mid-span bar 3200. The mid-span bar 3200 is also spaced and isolated from the upper infill member 2800. Thus, the mid-span bar 3200 is free to float, only supported by the cable infills 2600.

While not illustrated in the exemplified embodiment, in some embodiments the railing system 2000 may comprise pass-through posts in addition to the mid-span bars 3200. The mid-span bars 3200 and the pass-through posts may be positioned in an alternating manner such that each mid-span bar 3200 may be positioned between two pass-through posts and each pass-through post may be positioned between two mid-span bars 3200. In some embodiments, there may be a six foot maximum span between any two posts with an eighteen foot maximum cable run between adjacent post assemblies 2100. The pass-through posts may support the cables between the post assemblies 2100. The pass-through posts may include a base plate that is configured to be coupled directly to the support structure (i.e., deck surface, or the like) 2020 and a rail attachment bracket.

When a force is applied to any one of the cable infills 2600 or the mid-span bar 3200, the mid-span bar 3200 transfers force to all of the cable infills 2600 coupled thereto. Thus, where all cable infills 2600 are coupled to the mid-span bar 3200, force is transferred to all other cable infills 2600 via the mid-span bar 3200. This beneficially prevents excessive deflection of the cable infills 2600, increasing stiffness of the cable infills 2600 via the addition of the mid-span bar 3200. Furthermore, installation complexity is minimized while achieving this increased stiffness and reduced deflection. No additional fastening to the support structure 2020 is required. The mid-span bar 3200 has a plurality of fittings 3210 which couple the cable infills 2600 to a support member 3250. Optionally, the support member 3250 may be a rod or other structural element which is configured to receive the fittings 3210. The support member 3250 may be cylindrical or it may have a rectangular or polygonal cross-section, and may be any length or dimension required to receive the fittings 3210 and provide the required strength.

Turning to FIGS. 29 and 30, a portion of the mid-span bar 3200 is illustrated in greater detail. A fitting 3210, support member 3250, and a portion of a cable infill 2600 are shown. The support member 3250 extends through a first passageway 3211 in the fitting 3210 while a cable 2601 of the cable infill 2600 extends through a second passageway 3212. The first passageway 3211 is angled with respect to the second passageway 3212. Optionally, the first passageway 3211 may be perpendicular to the second passageway 3212. The first passageway 3211 has a generally cylindrical surface which is formed to receive the support member 3250. Optionally, the first passageway 3211 may have any other shape suitable to receive the support member 3250. The first passageway 3211 is open to allow insertion of the support member 3250 as will be discussed in greater detail below. Similarly, the second passageway 3212 is formed to receive the cable 2601 of the cable infill 2600. The second passageway 3212 is formed in two parts, as will also be discussed in greater detail below.

FIGS. 31 and 32 illustrate the support member 3250. The support member 3250 has a longitudinal axis F-F which extends along the length of the support member 3250. Formed on an outer surface 3251 of the support member 3250 are a plurality of alignment features 3253. The alignment features 3253 take the form of flats which are bounded by walls 3254. The alignment features 3253 be any shape suitable for either preventing rotation of the fittings 3210 or preventing movement of the fittings 3210 along the longitudinal axis F-F of the support member 3250. Thus, the alignment features 3253 may be flats, slots, keyways, splines, protuberances, or any other known method of ensuring rotational or longitudinal alignment between the fittings 3210 and the support member 3250. In some other implementations, the alignment features 3253 may be omitted. The mid-span bar 3200 also extends along the longitudinal axis F-F.

FIGS. 33A-E illustrate a fitting 3210 in greater detail. As can be seen, the fitting 3210 has a first finger 3220 and a second finger 3230 extending from a base 3214. The first and second fingers 3220, 3230, in combination with the base 3214, form a primary slot 3215 that extends from an open end 3216 at distal ends 3221, 3231 of the first and second fingers 3220, 3230. The primary slot 3215 terminates in a first passageway 3211 extending along a first passageway axis G-G. The first passageway 3211 is configured to receive the support member 3250. The first passageway 3211 may have a semi-circular cross-section which corresponds to the shape of the support member 3250. In other implementations, the first passageway 3211 may have a rectangular cross-section, splined, grooved, or other cross-section as desired.

The fitting 3210 further comprises a key feature 3217, the key feature 3217 formed on the base 3214 and extending into the first passageway 3211. The key feature 3217 engages one of the alignment features 3253 when the support member 3250 is located within the first passageway 3211. Thus, the key feature 3217 engages one of the alignment features 3253 to prevent relative movement between the support member 3250 and the fitting 3210. Specifically, the key feature 3217 and alignment feature 3253 may prevent rotation of the fitting 3210 with respect to the support member 3250. In addition, the key feature 3217 and alignment feature 3253 may prevent axial movement of the fitting 3210 with respect to the support member 3250 along the longitudinal axis F-F. Optionally, the key feature 3217 and alignment feature 3253 may prevent both rotation and axial movement, only rotation, or only axial movement.

The key feature 3217 may take the shape of a rectangular or square protuberance as illustrated, or the key feature 3217 may be cylindrical, convex, concave, or any other shape. In other implementations, the key feature 3217 and the alignment feature 3253 may be reversed, with the key feature located on the support member 3250 and the alignment feature located on the fitting 3210. Furthermore, the geometry of both elements may be altered to achieve any desired combination of rotational and axial constraint between the fitting 3210 and the support member 3250.

As illustrated, the key feature 3217 has a generally rectangular cross-section extending perpendicular to the first passageway 3211. The key feature 3217 may incorporate fillets or chamfers at the corners 3218 to facilitate mating of the fitting 3210 with the support member 3250. While opposing sides 3219 of the key feature 3217 may be parallel, they may also have a taper or other angle if so desired. Similarly, a distal surface 3222 of the key feature 3217 may be planar or may have a convex or concave shape as desired.

The fitting 3210 further incorporates a second passageway 3212 extending along a second passageway axis H-H. The first and second passageway axes G-G, H-H are non-parallel. In the exemplary embodiment, the first and second passageway axes G-G, H-H are perpendicular, but they need not be perpendicular in all implementations. The second passageway 3212 extends through the first and second arms 3220, 3230. A first portion of the second passageway 3212 is defined by a first slot 3223 formed in the first arm 3220 and a second portion of the second passageway 3212 defined by a second slot 3233 formed in the second arm 3230.

The first slot 3223 and the second slot 3233 each extend from an open side 3224, 3234 to a closed end 3225, 3235. The open side 3224 of the first slot 3223 extends in a first direction perpendicular to the second passageway axis H-H, while the open side 3234 of the second slot 3233 extends in a second direction perpendicular to the second passageway axis H-H. The second direction is opposite the first direction. Thus, the open sides 3224, 3234 are located on opposite sides of the first and second arms 3220, 3230. The closed ends 3225, 3235 have a semi-circular cross-section.

Optionally, the slots 3223, 3233 may have two parallel walls that extend tangentially from the closed ends 3225, 3235. However, in other implementations such as the one illustrated, a first wall 3226, 3236 extends tangentially from the closed ends 3225, 3235 while a second wall 3227, 3237 does not extend tangentially. The second walls 3227, 3237 and the closed ends 3225, 3235 come to a point 3228, 3238. The slots 3223, 3233 have a minimum width W_minmeasured across the slots 3223, 3233 at the points 3228, 3238. The minimum width W_minis selected, in combination with the dimensions of the cable 2610 of the cable infills 2600, to retain the cable 2610 within the slots 3223, 3233. In particular, the minimum width W_minis selected to retain the cable 2610 within the second passageway 3212.

Turning to FIGS. 34A-D, a method of assembling the railing system 3000 is illustrated. FIG. 34A illustrates a first step where two post assemblies 2100 are provided and a plurality of cable infills 2600 extend between the two post assemblies 2100. As noted previously, the post assemblies 2100 each comprise a structural post 2200. The post assemblies 2100 are mounted to the support structure 2020 discussed above. The support structure is not illustrated in FIGS. 34A-D for the sake of clarity. The post assemblies 2100 extend along corresponding longitudinal axes from a bottom end to a top end. The bottom ends of the post assemblies 2100 are mounted to the support structure so that the post assemblies 2100 extend upright from the support structure.

As can be seen the cable infills 2600 are installed such that no tension is applied to the cable infills 2600 beyond the weight of the cable infills 2600. The cable infills 2600 have a slack distance such that the cable infills droop slightly. The slack distance will be removed when the cable infills 2600 are tensioned in subsequent assembly steps.

FIG. 34B illustrates the cable infills 2600 joined to the mid-span bar 3200. The cable infills 2600 still have a slack distance and no tension is applied to the cable infills 2600. Prior to assembly of the mid-span bar 3200 with the cable infills 2600, the support member 3250 is inserted into the first passageways 3211 of the fittings 3210 to engage the key feature 3217 with one of the alignment features 3253.

As shown in FIG. 34C, the cable infills 2600 are twisted such that the cable infills 2600 are inserted through the open sides 3224, 3234 of the slots 3223, 3233. The cable 2610 of the cable infill 2600 is located within the second passageway 3212, with the cable 2610 constrained by the features slots 3223, 3233. As noted above, the arrangement of the slots 3223, 3233 is selected to contain the cable 2610. In addition, the cable 2610 of the cable infill 2600 prevents removal of the support member 3250 from the first passageway 3211 of the fitting 3210. Optionally, the cable 2610 may be in contact with the support member 3250 to prevent withdrawal of the support member 3250 from the first passageway 3211. Each fitting 3210 is assembled with a corresponding cable infill 2600 until all of the fittings 3210 are joined with a cable infill 2600. Optionally, not all cable infills may have corresponding fittings 3210 as desired.

Turning to FIG. 34D, the cable infills 2600 are tensioned as discussed above. The cable infills 2600 are tensioned such that a tensioning force is applied, removing any slack distance in the cable infills 2600. The cable infills 2600 are then drawn tight so that they become substantially straight. When tensioned with the tensioning force, the cable infills 2600 cannot be removed from the slots 3223, 3233 and the fittings 3210 are secured to the support member 3520. Thus, the mid-span bar 3200 is joined to the cable infills 2600, allowing force transfer across cable infills 2600 via the mid-span bar 3200. The mid-span bar 3200 is spaced and isolated from both the support structure 2020 and the post assemblies 2100.

Turning to FIG. 35, a cross-section showing the assembled mid-span bar 3200 and a cable infill 2600 is illustrated. The key feature 3217 and alignment feature 3253 are engaged, the support member 3250 is located within the first passageway 3211, and the cable 2610 of the cable infill 2600 is located within the second passageway 3212. As can be seen, the cable 2610 is immediately adjacent to the support member 3250. While the cable 2610 may not be in direct contact with the support member 3250, clearance between the cable 2610 and the support member 3250 is less than a height H of the key feature 3217 to prevent rotation of the support member 3250 within the fitting 3210 when the cable 2610 is installed in the second passageway 3212.

FIGS. 36 and 37 illustrate another embodiment of a railing system 3500. The railing system 3500 is substantially identical to the railing system 3000 discussed above except as noted. The railing system 3500 having a plurality of post assemblies 2100 and a plurality of cable infills 2600 extending between the post assemblies 2100. Each of the post assemblies 2100 has a structural post 2200 as discussed above. The post assemblies 2100 are mounted to a support structure 2020 and extend upright from the support structure 2020. As illustrated, the post assemblies 2100 need not be installed on the same horizontal plane, and may instead be installed at different levels such as on steps, ramps, or other surfaces on different horizontal planes. A mid-span bar 3600 is coupled to the cable infills 2600. The mid-span bar 3600 is spaced and isolated from the support structure 2020. Optionally, an upper infill member 2800 described above may also be utilized.

The mid-span bar 3600 has a support member 3650 and a plurality of fittings 3610. The fittings 3610 each engage one of the cables 2610 of the cable infills 2600 as discussed above. The cable infills 2600 are not substantially horizontal, but instead are arranged at an angle to a horizontal plane due to the change in height between adjacent post assemblies 2100. The fittings 3610 are configured such that the mid-span bar 3500 and the post assemblies 2100 are arranged to be substantially vertical while the cable infills 2600 are neither horizontal nor vertical.

As illustrated in FIGS. 37-39, the support member 3650 of the mid-span bar 3600 extends through a first passageway 3611 of the fitting 3610. The cables 2610 of the cable infills 2600 extend through a second passageway 3612 of the fitting 3610. The mid-span bar 3600 and the support member 3650 extend along a longitudinal axis F-F. The longitudinal axis F-F is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axes of the post assemblies 2100.

The first passageway 3611 extends along a first passageway axis G-G while the second passageway 3612 extends along a second passageway axis H-H. The second passageway 3612 is formed in two parts in the same manner as discussed above with respect to the fitting 3210. The first passageway axis G-G and the longitudinal axis F-F of the support member 3650 are substantially coincident and parallel. Thus, the first passageway axis G-G is oriented substantially vertically. Although the support member 3650 of the mid-span bar 3600 may not be oriented vertical, most end users prefer a vertical orientation absent some overriding justification.

The second passageway axis H-H extends at an angle to the first passageway axis G-G and the longitudinal axis F-F of the support member 3650. The second passageway axis H-H may be perpendicular to the first passageway axis G-G, but is preferably neither parallel nor perpendicular to the first passageway axis G-G to permit securing the cable infills 2600 while also maintaining the longitudinal axis F-F of the support member 3650 in a vertical orientation. In a first installation, the second passageway axis H-H may be at a first angle with respect to the first passageway axis G-G, while in a second installation, the second passageway axis H-H may be at a second angle. Thus, it is possible to reconfigure the fittings 3610 such that the passageway axis H-H may be at a plurality of different angles depending on the requirements of any specific support structure 2020.

Due to potential variations in height between portions of the support structure 2020, multiple different angles for the second passageway axis H-H may be utilized for different portions of the railing system 3500. Otherwise stated, flights of stairs may be at different heights or slopes. Thus, the slope of the cable infills 2600 may be different for different sets of stairs, portions of stairs, or other parameters. The railing system 3500 permits the angle of the second passageway axis H-H to be altered to fit the requirements of the support structure 2020.

The fitting 3610 is constructed of a first portion 3710 and a second portion 3750. The first portion 3710 and second portion 3750 are separate components which are joined to form the fitting 3610. As will be discussed in greater detail below, the first portion 3710 and the second portion 3750 may be joined at multiple different relative orientations to achieve the required angle between the first and second passageway axes G-G, H-H. Several discrete angles may be possible, or it is contemplated that infinite adjustment of the angle may be achieved via any known method. A fastener 3702 is used to secure the first portion 3710 to the second portion 3750 at the desired angle.

Turning to FIGS. 40A-41C, the first and second portions 3710, 3750 of the fitting 3610 are illustrated in greater detail. FIGS. 40A-C illustrate the first portion 3710 of the fitting 3610 while FIGS. 41A-C illustrate the second portion 3750 of the fitting 3610. The first portion 3710 has a first finger 3620 and a second finger 3630 extending from a first mating portion 3711. The first mating portion 3711 has a front surface 3712 with a fastener passageway 3713 extending through the front surface 3712 to a rear surface 3714. The rear surface 3714 has a plurality of triangular protrusions 3715 which permit adjustment of the angle between the first and second fastener passageway axes G-G, H-H. The fastener passageway 3713 may be a countersunk hole, a counter-bored hole, or any other suitable aperture or hole configured to permit passage of a fastener of any known type. Optionally, the rear surface 3714 may have a relief, counter-bore, or other feature where the fastener passageway 3713 meets the rear surface 3714.

The first and second fingers 3620, 3630 form a primary slot 3615 extending from an open end 3616 at distal ends 3621, 3631 of the first and second fingers 3620, 3630 to a closed end 3617 at the front surface 3712 of the first mating portion 3711. The second passageway 3612 extends along the second passageway axis H-H. The second passageway 3612 is formed in two portions, with a first portion formed by the first finger 3620 and a second portion formed by the second finger 3630. The second passageway 3612 is configured to receive a cable 2610 of one of the cable infills 2600 discussed above.

The first portion of the second passageway 3612 is defined by a first slot 3623 formed in the first arm 3620 and the second portion of the second passageway 3612 defined by a second slot 3633 formed in the second arm 3630. The first slot 3623 and the second slot 3633 each extend from an open side 3624, 3634 to a closed end 3625, 3635. The open side 3624 of the first slot 3623 extends in a first direction perpendicular to the second passageway axis H-H, while the open side 3634 of the second slot 3633 extends in a second direction perpendicular to the second passageway axis H-H. The second direction is opposite the first direction. Thus, the open sides 3624, 3634 are located on opposite sides of the first and second arms 3620, 3630. The closed ends 3625, 3635 have a semi-circular cross-section.

Optionally, the first and second slots 3623, 3633 may have two parallel walls that extend tangentially from the closed ends 3625, 3635. However, in other implementations such as the one illustrated, a first wall 3626, 3636 extends tangentially from the closed ends 3625, 3635 while a second wall 3627, 3637 does not extend tangentially. The second walls 3627, 3637 and the closed ends 3625, 3635 come to a point similar to that discussed above. The slots 3623, 3633 have a minimum width measured across the slots 3623, 3633 at the points. The minimum width is selected, in combination with the dimensions of the cable 2610 of the cable infills 2600, to retain the cable 2610 within the slots 3623, 3633. In particular, the minimum width is selected to retain the cable 2610 within the second passageway 3612.

As shown in FIGS. 41A-C, the second portion 3750 of the fitting 3610 has a plurality of triangular protuberances 3755 configured to engage the protuberances 3715 of the first portion 3710. The protuberances 3755 extend from a rear surface 3754. The rear surface 3754 may also incorporate features configured to engage the rear surface 3714 of the first portion 3710. For instance, a boss may be formed on the rear surface 3754 of the second portion 3750 which corresponds with a counter-bore on the rear surface 3714 of the first portion 3710. This may be useful for facilitating alignment of the first and second portions 3710, 3750 during assembly. The second portion 3750 further has a front surface 3752, the front surface 3752 having any shape suitable to achieve the desired function or aesthetics. The first passageway 3611 extends through the second portion 3750 along the first passageway axis G-G.

A fastener passageway 3753 extends through the rear surface 3754 to the first passageway 3611. The fastener 3702 may be inserted through the fastener passageway 3713 of the first portion 3710 and then through the fastener passageway 3753 of the second portion 3750 to fix and couple the first portion 3710 to the second portion 3750. The engagement of the protuberances 3715, 3755 causes the first and second portions 3710, 3750 to be rotationally fixed such that no further rotation is possible once the fastener 3702 is secured within the fastener passageways 3713, 3753. Preferably, the fastener passageway 3753 of the second portion is threaded to mate with corresponding threads of the fastener 3702, but other means of fastening may be used such as a press-fit or other known methods. In other configurations, the fastener passageway 3713 of the first portion 3710 may comprise threads. The second portion 3750 is configured such that the fastener 3702 extends into the first passageway 3611 as will be discussed in greater detail below.

Turning to FIGS. 42A-C, transitioning of the fitting 3610 from a first position to a second position is shown. In FIG. 42A, the fitting is shown 3610 in a first position where the first passageway axis G-G is oriented at a first angle θ₁with respect to the second passageway axis H-H, the first angle θ₁being substantially 90 degrees. Thus, the first and second passageway axes G-G, H-H are substantially perpendicular. In FIG. 42B, the fastener 3702 is loosened to permit rotation of the first portion 3710 relative to the second portion 3750. The first portion 3710 is then repositioned relative to the second portion 3750.

In FIG. 42C, the fastener 3702 is tightened to set the relative position between the first and second portions 3710, 3750 to a second position. In the second position, the first passageway axis G-G is oriented at a second angle θ₂with respect to the second passageway axis H-H, the second angle θ₂being less than 90 degrees as shown. As can be seen, any required angle can be set in discrete increments determined by the pitch of the protuberances 3715, 3755. As noted previously, other angle setting means may be implemented, including those having an infinite adjustment capability to permit precise angle setting. Preferably, the angle is set prior to installation of the fitting 3610 to the support member 3650. The fitting 3610 may be configured such that the first portion 3710 can be coupled to the second portion 3750 in three or more different relative rotational orientations.

FIG. 43 illustrates a cross-section of a portion of the railing system 3500 showing a fitting 3610 coupled to a cable infill 2600 and the support member 3650. The support member 3650 is inserted within the first passageway 3611 while the cable 2610 of the cable infill 2600 is inserted within the second passageway 3612. The first portion 3710 of the fitting 3610 is coupled to the second portion 3750 via the fastener 3702. An alignment feature 3653 of the support member 3650 is also engaged by the fastener 3702. Preferably, the support member 3650 is inserted within the first passageway 3611 and the first portion 3710 is coupled to the second portion 3750 prior to installation of the cable 2610 within the second passageway 3612. Thus, the fitting 3610 is assembled substantially simultaneously with inserting the support member 3650 into the first passageway 3611 and securing the support member 3650 to the fitting 3610.

The installation of the cable 2610 into the second passageway 3612 prevents further adjustment or removal of the fastener 3702. The fastener 3702 compresses the first and second portions 3710, 3750 while protruding into the first passageway 3611. While the fastener 3702 need not engage a floor of the alignment feature 3653, the fastener 3702 prevents rotation and axial movement of the support member 3650 along the longitudinal axis F-F with respect to the fitting 3610. Thus, the fastener 3702 may serve the same function as the key feature discussed above. In other configurations, the fastener 3702 may constrain only rotation or axial movement of the support member 3650.

While the foregoing description and drawings represent exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, it will be understood that various additions, modifications and substitutions may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope and range of equivalents of the accompanying claims. In particular, it will be clear to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be embodied in other forms, structures, arrangements, proportions, sizes, and with other elements, materials, and components, without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. In addition, numerous variations in the methods/processes described herein may be made within the scope of the present disclosure. One skilled in the art will further appreciate that the embodiments may be used with many modifications of structure, arrangement, proportions, sizes, materials, and components and otherwise, used in the practice of the disclosure, which are particularly adapted to specific environments and operative requirements without departing from the principles described herein. The presently disclosed embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. The appended claims should be construed broadly, to include other variants and embodiments of the disclosure, which may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and range of equivalents.

	Number	Date	Country
	63495399	Apr 2023	US
	63514645	Jul 2023	US

POST, KIT AND RAILING SYSTEM INCLUDING THE SAME

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