Protective Cover for a Post

A post extending from the ground or other surface often presents safety risks to individuals because of the risks that individuals encountering the posts unintentionally make hard contact with the exposed end of the post. Such potentially dangerous posts may be in the form of metal fence posts, metal rods, bollards, sign posts, tent spikes, farm post, re-bars or any other elongated metal or non-metal structure protruding from the ground or from any structure. They may exist at locations for many different reasons and may serve a useful function as part of an existing meaningful structure or part of or the result of an obsolete structure.

The present disclosure is directed to a protective cover for an end of a post. The protective cover includes a base having a wall defining a bore configured to receive the end of the post, a top integral with the base configured to engage the end of the post when the end of the post is within the bore, and a plate disposed within the top for providing rigidity to the top.

The base may comprise a first material and the top comprises a second material, the first material being more flexible than the second material. One or both of the first material and the second material may be a plastic, such as any type of silicone. The first plastic may be more flexible than the second plastic. For example, the first material may be a first silicone having a hardness in the range of 44°-55° Shore A and the second material may be a second silicone having a hardness in the range of 25°-35° Shore A. The plate may be constructed of aluminum or other metal or hard material. The plate may be disk shaped. The top may include a top surface, an outer rim and a flange surrounding the top surface and interconnecting the top surface and the rim, the flange extending outwardly at an angle from the top surface. The top may include a plurality of grommets interconnecting the base and the top. The base and top may be molded together and the plate is molded within the top so that the protective cover is a single integral structure.

Additional features of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of illustrative embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the disclosure as presently perceived.

While the concepts of the present disclosure are susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described herein in detail. It should be understood, however, that there is no intent to limit the concepts of the present disclosure to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives consistent with the present disclosure and the appended claims.

References in the specification to an “embodiment” indicate that the embodiment described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment may or may not necessarily include that particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such term is not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the knowledge of one skilled in the art to effect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments whether or not explicitly described.

disclose a protective coverfor an end of a postin accordance with an illustrated embodiment of the present disclosure. The protective coverincludes a top, a baseand a platemolded into or otherwise disposed within the top. The illustrated tophas a generally circular cross section and includes a top surface, a rim, a bottom surface, an upper angled flangeextending from the top surface to the rim, a lower angled flangeextending from the rim, and a plurality of grommetsextending radially from the topto the base. The upper and lower angled flangesandprovide structural benefits. Additionally, having upper and lower angled flangesandinstead of hard corners provides safety benefits because hard corners increase risks of injury in the event of impact. The top surface, rim, upper and lower angled flangesandand grommetsdefine a plurality of boressurrounding a proximal end of the base. The illustrated topdefines a pin holethat receives a mold pin during the molding process to secure the platein position during the molding process.

The baseof the protective coveris a tubular structure that extends from the bottom surfaceof the topand includes a wallhaving a circular cross section that defines a borefor receiving the post. The wallhas a thickness that decreases as it extends distally from the bottom surfaceand the topto provide additional flexibility and facilitate engagement of the post. The topand the baseare integral with each other. For example, the topand basemay be part of a single mold or may otherwise be secured or joined together in any other suitable manner to form an integral structure.

The topand the basemay be constructed of any suitable silicone or any other suitable plastic. The topmay be constructed of a material that is less flexible than the baseto provide structural and durability benefits during impacts that the protective covermay experience. The baseis constructed of a more flexible material to facilitate easy engagement to the postand to facilitate engagement to posts of different sizes and configurations. In accordance with an illustrated embodiment, the topis constructed of a silicone having a hardness in the range of 25°-35° Shore A and the base is constructed of a silicone having a hardness in the range of 44°-55° Shore A. The topor the entire protective covermay be constructed of high visibility orange or yellow silicone or other high visibility color or material to provide additional safety benefits. The topand the basemay have any other suitable configuration and may be constructed of any other suitable materials in accordance with other embodiments of the present disclosure.

The platemay be in the form of a disk constructed of aluminum or any other suitable metal or hard material. The plateis molded into or otherwise disposed within the top. The plateprovides structural integrity to the topwhen the protective coveris engaged with the post. The plate also eliminates or minimizes any deformation of the topwhen the protective coveris engaged with the post, such as, for example, when the protective coveris secured to a post having an unconventional or deformed end. The illustrated plateincludes a molding pin holefor receiving a mold pin during the molding process to secure the platein position during the molding process. The platemay have any other suitable configuration and may be constructed of any other suitable materials in accordance with other embodiments of the present disclosure.

The disclosure in accordance with embodiments of the invention provides many benefits. For example, in addition to the benefits described above, the protective coveris easy to install on the poledue to the construction and flexibility of the base. The rigidity of the topthat results from the higher grade silicone and the platedisposed within the topenables the protective coverto engage the end of the postwith minimal, if any, deformation of the protective cover. With this rigidity, the topand the plateare engageable with posts of different sizes and different configurations. The platealso serves to disperse or soften the impact felt by an individual when an impact with the protective coveroccurs because the topis able to compress against the plate upon impact. The protective coveris also durable and can sustain impacts and extreme weather conditions. The protective coveradheres firmly to posts of all sizes and configurations to mitigate or eliminate risks of people or animals that come into contact with the post.

As used in the foregoing description, the terms “top”, “base” and “bottom” simply refer to a position or orientation of the illustrated structure and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure to any specific position or orientation. Additionally, as used in the foregoing description, the term “post” includes metal fence posts, metal rods, bollards, sign posts, tent spikes, farm posts, re-bars or any other elongated metal or non-metal structure protruding from the ground, floor or other structure.

While certain illustrative embodiments have been described in detail in the drawings and the foregoing description, such an illustration and description is to be considered as exemplary and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only illustrative embodiments have been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the disclosure are desired to be protected. There exist a plurality of advantages of the present disclosure arising from the various features of the apparatus, systems, and methods described herein. It will be noted that alternative embodiments of the apparatus, systems, and methods of the present disclosure may not include all of the features described, yet still benefit from at least some of the advantages of such features. Those of ordinary skill in the art may readily devise their own implementations of the apparatus, systems, and methods that incorporate one or more of the features of the present disclosure.