Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
  • A63H—TOYS, e.g. TOPS, DOLLS, HOOPS OR BUILDING BLOCKS
  • A63H33/00—Other toys
  • A63H33/04—Building blocks, strips, or similar building parts
  • A63H33/06—Building blocks, strips, or similar building parts to be assembled without the use of additional elements
  • A63H33/08—Building blocks, strips, or similar building parts to be assembled without the use of additional elements provided with complementary holes, grooves, or protuberances, e.g. dovetails
  • A63H33/086—Building blocks, strips, or similar building parts to be assembled without the use of additional elements provided with complementary holes, grooves, or protuberances, e.g. dovetails with primary projections fitting by friction in complementary spaces between secondary projections, e.g. sidewalls

Definitions

• This invention relates to a toy building element which incorporates a block having semi-circular curved ends and releasable engagement means which allows other like blocks relative rotation about an axis of the engagement means.
• the prior art of toy building elements, and in particular blocks has many examples of block design which include substantially rectangular blocks with protrusions of cylindrical and other shapes that engage with an interference fit, into complementary cavities, located in the bases of similar blocks. This configuration allows blocks to be placed together in various combinations dependent upon the configuration of the protrusions and cavities used.
• a block has parallel sides, parallel top and bottom surfaces, cylindrically shaped protuberances projecting from its top surface and cavities for location of similar protuberances in its underside.
• Each of the blocks has identical configuration of protuberances and cavities and the blocks are capable of being interconnected, bottom to top or vice versa, the protuberances and internal cavities, when the blocks are thus interconnected, releasably engaging one another.
• the blocks can be disengaged and one or both of the blocks can be rotated about an axis which is normal to the top and bottom of the block and the block can then be re-engaged. This manipulation is possible as a direct result of the configuration of the protuberances and cavities thereon.
• the present invention provides a toy building block having a protuberance on an outer surface thereof, the protuberance having a ridge which engages a complementary groove in a cavity in another block by resilient deformation, thereby enabling relative rotation and releasable retention.
• a further problem of the prior art is that curved structures cannot be constructed with the standard block and this need is met by the supply of fixed curvature blocks.
• a still further object of this invention is to provide a block that is simple to manufacture and simple to use.
• a toy building element comprises at least one protuberance projecting from an upper surface thereof and at least one downwardly opening cavity on the underside of the element, the or each protuberance having a circumferential ridge, and the or each cavity having an internal circumferential groove, such that, when two like elements are to be joined together the or each protuberance is press-fitted within a respective said cavity with the ridge engaging within an associated said groove to thereby interlock the elements together, with the elements being able to swivel relative to one another about an axis common to both the cavity and the protuberance received therein.
• each building element has a pair of protuberances and a pair of complementary cavities on opposite faces thereof, for interlocking with similar elements.
• each element is a hollow block having an open bottom and a closed top wall, the top wall having a generally planar upper surface, two opposed parallel sides and two opposed end walls depending from the periphery of the top wall, wherein the end walls are convexly curved with each protuberance being disposed at approximately the centre of curvature of a respective said curved end wall adjacent thereto.
• the block elements are injection moulded of resilient plastics material, e.g. polyethylene or polypropylene.
• adapter blocks can be provided, each of which has on one of its major faces a configuration of either bosses or cavities which are interlockable with the cavities or bosses respectively on existing building elements, its other major face having a configuration of either protuberances or cavities according to the present invention.
• Fig. 1 shows a top perspective view of a toy building element according to a first embodiment of the invention
• Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the bottom of a toy building element of Fig. 1;
• Figs. 3 (a), (b) and (c) show top, bottom and side elevational views of the building element of Fig. 1;
• Fig. 4 is an elevational view, partly sectioned, showing a construction example wherein several building elements are interlocked;
• Fig. 5 is a plan view of the interlocked elements shown in Fig. 4, with the dotted lines showing the positions of rotation of one of the elements;
• Figs. 6 (a) and (b) are perspective views of a building block according to a second embodiment of the invention.
• Figs. 7 (a) and (b) are perspective views of an adapter building block according to another embodiment
• Figs. 8 (a) and (b) are perspective views of another block according to a further embodiment of the invention.
• FIGs. 9 (a) and (b) are perspective views of another adapter block for connection to other makes of building block elements of a similar kind.
• Figs. 1 to 3 there is shown an approximately oval shaped toy building block 10 having a closed planar top end 11, an open bottom end 12, parallel side walls 13 and semi-circular end walls 14.
• the upper surface of top end 11 has projecting upwardly therefrom, a pair of spaced apart circular hollow bosses or protuberances 15 each having a cylindrical side wall 16 and a flat closed end wall 17.
• Each of the side walls 16 has a circumferential rib or ridge 18 extending therearound, the ridges 18 being designed to lockingly engage in shallow circular grooves 20, formed on the inside of cylindrical cavities 21, as shown in Fig. 2, of another block 10.
• the cavities 21 extend inwardly from the open bottom end 12 of the block 10 and are defined by cylindrical walls 22 which are co-axial with corresponding protuberances 15. The diameter of the cavities 21 is marginally greater than the diameter of the protuberances 15.
• Disengagement of the blocks is achieved by reversing the engagement process described above. An audible "click” is evident with each engagement and disengagement procedure.
• the disengagement of the blocks can be done by means of a suitable tool (or block) having a lug which can be inserted between the engaged blocks through slots 25 formed in the end walls 14 thereof in order to lever the blocks apart.
• a suitable tool or block having a lug which can be inserted between the engaged blocks through slots 25 formed in the end walls 14 thereof in order to lever the blocks apart.
• the end walls 14 are convexly curved, in this instance semi-circular, with the protuberances 15 located respectively at the centre of curvature of the curved ends 14, adjacent thereto.
• the blocks 10 can be interlocked in horizontal layers in which each block in one layer is staggered with respect to the blocks in the adjacent layer, with each block being connected to an horizontally adjacent block through the block(s) immediately vertically adjacent.
• a building block 30 is circular in plan and comprises a smooth cylindrical wall 31 which extends between the closed top end and open bottom end of the block, the top end having a cylindrical protuberance 32 centrally disposed thereon, whilst the bottom end has extending inwardly therefrom a central cavity 33 defined by cylindrical wall 34.
• the protuberance or boss 32 has a circumferential rib 35, whilst the wall 34 is provided with an internal groove 36 in which a rib on a protuberance of another block (whether the same or different) can be lockingly engaged when the blocks are press fitted together.
• the block 30 allows different block construction assemblies to be interconnected, e.g. joining a ring structure to a layered structure.
• Block 40 has an upper body portion which is identical to that of block 10, whilst its underside is provided with a plurality of cavities 41 which are configured so that the block 40 can be connected to an existing "Lego" block through frictional contact between the cavity walls 42 and the bosses on the top face of the other block.
• the upper planar face 43 of block 40 has two protuberances 44 each having ridges 45 to enable the block to connect to blocks 10, 30 of the present invention.
• Block 50 has a lower body portion identical to that of block 10, whilst its upper face is provided with a series of bosses 52 which are configured so that the block 50 can connect to the bottom of an existing "Lego" block.
• the underside of block 50 has two cavities 53, each having circumferential grooves 54 to enable same to connect to the blocks 10, 30 of the present invention (or to block 40).
• a block 60 which in many respects is identical to block 30 (Fig. 6), but in addition is provided with a pair of diametrically opposite protuberances 61 and a pair of diametrically opposite cavities 62 spaced around the cylindrical wall 63 of the block 60.
• the top face of block 60 has a central protuberance 65 with a ridge 66 extending therearound, and the open bottom end has a central cylindrical cavity 67 with groove 68, extending inwardly therefrom.
• the building element could have a cross shape which maintains the flexibility of rotational displacement, upon engagement, of additional blocks.
• ridge located on the cylindrical protrusion of the embodiments shown could be substituted with a series of knobs, spherical protrusions or like shapes complementary to the annular groove, such as to allow rotational movement of the building elements upon engagement.
• toy blocks of the preset invention provide far greater versatility in constructing building structures than can be achieved with prior art toy building elements, in that they enable the construction of curved structures, are simple to use and can be manufactured at low cost.

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• Toys (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (3)

Family

ID=3776148

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (8)

Families Citing this family (17)

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• 1993
  • 1993-05-03 DE DE69313629T patent/DE69313629D1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1993-05-03 EP EP93911675A patent/EP0639095B1/fr not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1993-05-03 HU HU9403123A patent/HUT69423A/hu unknown
  • 1993-05-03 WO PCT/AU1993/000189 patent/WO1993022018A1/fr not_active Ceased
  • 1993-05-03 BR BR9306320A patent/BR9306320A/pt not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1993-05-03 ES ES93911675T patent/ES2109496T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1993-05-03 RU RU94046177/12A patent/RU94046177A/ru unknown
  • 1993-05-03 AT AT93911675T patent/ATE157552T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation

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