Articulating post for a topless and bottomless glass post system

Abstract

Vertical edges of sheets of glass are held within elongate cylindrical gaskets which are journalled length-wise into and along vertical channels formed within the sides of a vertical post. The channels are semi-circular in horizontal cross section and are sized for a snug mating fit with the gaskets. The gaskets have vertical slots for supporting the edges of the glass. A sheet of glass supported in a slot in the gasket may pivot relative to the post, for example by up to approximately forty-five degrees about its vertical axis of rotation. Thus the vertical channels and gaskets form a vertical hinge by the gaskets, which mounted on the vertical edge of the sheet of glass, having a snug rotatable fit within the corresponding channel.

1 . An articulating post system comprising at least one elongate post housing, each post housing of said at least one post housing having at least one channel extending between opposite ends of the post housing so as to extend substantially entirely from a first end to an opposite second end of said post housing, and at least one rigid cylindrical gasket mountable into snug rotational engagement within and along substantially the entire length of corresponding channels of said at least one channel, wherein each gasket of said at least one rigid cylindrical gasket when mounted in said corresponding channels is selectively rotatable about a longitudinally extending centroidal axis of said corresponding channels so as to be selectively angularly rotatable relative to said post housing about said centroidal axis,
 and wherein said each gasket has a glass-receiving slot formed therein and extending along substantially the entire length of said each gasket parallel to a longitudinal axis of said each gasket, and axis co-axial with said centroidal axis, and wherein said glass-receiving slot is sized so as to snugly receive along substantially said entire length of the gasket a corresponding entire edge of a sheet of glass in snug mating engagement therein and therealong,   and wherein each channel of said corresponding channels has an elongate slot-like opening along substantially said entire length of said channel and said slot-like opening is defined between opposed facing gasket retaining flanges having parallel edges extending along said opening on opposite sides of said opening to thereby retain said each gasket in said channel, and wherein said each gasket is not retained in its corresponding said channel by anything other than said gasket retaining flanges.   
   
   
       2 . The post system of  claim 1  wherein at least one channel is only a single said channel and, when said corresponding gasket is mounted therein, forms an end post. 
   
   
       3 . The post system of  claim 1  wherein said at least one channel is a pair of channels and, corresponding said gaskets are mounted therein, forms a post chosen from the group comprising, an in-line post, a corner post. 
   
   
       4 . The post system of  claim 1  wherein said at least one channel is a parallel and oppositely disposed pair of channels and when said corresponding gaskets are mounted therein, is an in-line post. 
   
   
       5 . The post system of  claim 1  wherein said at least one channel is a pair of the channels parallel and adjacent to one another and disposed substantially orthogonally relative to one another so as to form a corner post. 
   
   
       6 . The post system of  claim 1  wherein said gasket retaining flanges are elongate continuous lips formed in opposed facing relation defining a width therebetween across said slot-like opening, and wherein said each gasket has a diameter in lateral cross section which is larger than said width across said opening. 
   
   
       7 . The post system of  claim 6  wherein said each channel is formed as a substantially cylindrical socket. 
   
   
       8 . The post system of  claim 1  wherein said each gasket includes at least one resilient lining member mounted within said glass-receiving slot for resilient mating against the edge of the sheet of glass when the edge of the sheet of glass is mounted in said glass-receiving slot. 
   
   
       9 . The post system of  claim 7  wherein said width is wide enough so that when said sheet of glass is mounted in said glass-receiving slot in said each gasket, and said each gasket is mounted within said each channel said sheet of glass and corresponding said each gasket is rotatable about an angular range of motion of at least substantially fifteen degrees. 
   
   
       10 . The post system of  claim 9  wherein said angular range of motion is at least substantially thirty degrees. 
   
   
       11 . The post system of  claim 9  where at least one of said each glass-receiving slot is adapted for mounting a light source therein so as to edge light said sheet of glass when mounted in said glass-receiving slot. 
   
   
       12 . The post system of  claim 11  wherein further comprising light source mountable into said glass-receiving slot. 
   
   
       13 . The post system of  claim 12  wherein light source is a luminescent strip. 
   
   
       14 . The post system of  claim 9  wherein at least one channel is only a single said channel and, when said corresponding gasket is mounted therein, forms an end post. 
   
   
       15 . The post system of  claim 9  wherein said at least one channel is a pair of channels and, corresponding said gaskets are mounted therein, forms a post chosen from the group comprising, an in-line post, a corner post. 
   
   
       16 . The post system of  claim 9  wherein said at least one channel is a parallel and oppositely disposed pair of channels and when said corresponding gaskets are mounted therein, is an in-line post. 
   
   
       17 . The post system of  claim 9  wherein said at least one channel is a pair of the channels parallel and adjacent to one another and disposed substantially orthogonally relative to one another so as to form a corner post. 
   
   
       18 . The post system of  claim 9  wherein said glass-receiving slot extends substantially entirely laterally across said gasket cross section. 
   
   
       19 . The post system of  claim 11  wherein said light source is mounted in a vertical recess at a distal edge of said glass-receiving slot, distal from an opening into said slot. 
   
   
       20 . The post system of  claim 8  wherein said lining member includes resilient protrusions, ribs or bumps.