Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
~X8~394~3
C~NSTRUCTION APPARATUS
B~CRGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a construction
apparatus useful as a toy, amusement device, or for making
models of the type having a plurality of components which
can be connected together by connectors.
A number of construction apparatuses have been
developed in the past which include a plurality of plane
figures, typically having three, four or five sides, and
connectors for connecting the plane figures together to
form three dimensional shapes. Examples are disclosed in
United States patent numbers 3,120,078 to Bessinger;
2,776,521 to Zimmerman; 3,597,858 to Ogsbury and 3,000,134
to Marini as well as British patent number 91B,877 to
Zander and German patent number 617,011 to Fay.
In Zimmerman and Zander the plane figures are
formed by perimeter members surrounding a substantially
open central area. Zander discloses separate plates which
are fitted to the perimeter members to fill the central
area.
Each panel in Ogsbury is provided with beaded
joint portions along each side edge thereof. The beaded
joint portions are substantially in the shape of rods
extending along the sides. Ogsbury employs elongated
connectors which have sockets for receiving the beaded
joint portions. Some of these connectors are
substantially W-shaped in section. One advantage of using
such connectors is that they permit adjacent panels to be
aligned at different angles according to the particular
three dimensional shape being made. This is shown in
Figure 9 of Ogsbury. However, the shapes of connectors
disclosed by Ogsbury present difficulties in
construction. Such connectors cannot be fitted between an
existing structure and a new panel in some situations
~288~8
-2-
without disturbing the existing structure. In such
situations Ogsbury does not allow the new panel to be
placed in its final position and then place the various
connectors where required between the new panel and
existing structure.
SUNMARY OF THE INYE~TION
The invention provides a construction apparatus
having a plurality of relatively flat components with at
least three sides. An elongated rod-like member extends
along each side and enlarged corner portions are between
the members. There is a plurality of connectors for
connecting together adjacent sides of adjacent members to
form structures. Each connector has a pair of recesses
shaped to releasably embrace adjacent pairs of the
members. rrhe recesses of each connector open outwardly in
a common direction so connectors may be positioned on
pairs of members without altering previously formed
portions of the structure.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the drawings:
Figure 1 is a top plan of a three-sided flat
construction component according to an
embodiment of the invention;
Figure 2 is a bottom plan thereof showing the
component fitted with a plate-like member
spanning the open centre portion thereof,
the plate-like member being partly broken
r away.
Figure 3 is a top plan equivalent to Figure
showing a four-sided component;
;
394~3
--3--
Figure 4 is a bottom plan thereof shown fitted with
a four-sided plate-like member, the
plate-like member being partly broken away;
Figure 5 is a side elevation of the component shown
in Figure 3 fitted to a similar said
component;
Figure 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6-6 of
Figure 3;
Figure 7 is a partly broken away sectional view
~aken along line 7-7 of Figure 4 and
showing the plate-like member connected by
a rod to a similar plate-like member;
Figure 8 is a top plan of a five-sided flat
component fitted with a five-sided
plate-like member which is partly broken
away;
Figure 9 is a top plan of a connector for connecting
together the components of Figures 1 - 8;
Figure 10 is an end elevation thereof;
Figure 11 i8 a sectional view taken along line 11-11
of Figure 9;
Figures 12-14 are fragmentary sectional views showing the
connector of Figure 9 connecting together
flat components of Figures 1 - 8 at three
different angular positions;
Figure 15 is a similar sectional view showing how the
connector is swung into position to connect
~,,,~,.
128~ 8
--4--
together the flat components without moving
the positions of the flat components;
Figure 16 shows a plurality of three-sided flat
components connected together with the
connectors to form a hexagonal figure;
Figure 17 shows a three dimensional dodecahedron
formed with twelve five-sided flat
components as shown in Figure 8 when
connected together by the connectors of
Figure 9; and
Figure 18 is a simplified perspective view of a model
space station formed with a plurality of
the flat components, connectors, plate-like
members and rods.
DESCRIPTION OF TEIE PREFERRED ENBODIME~ITS
A toy or model, such as the space station 1 of
Figure 18 i5 constructed by connecting together a
plurality of three-dimensional structures such as the
dodecahedron 2 of Figure 17. In turn, this structure is
made by connecting together a plurality of flat components
having at least three sides as shown in Figures 1 - 8.
Alternatively, these flat components can be connected
together to form a larger planar shape such as hexagon 4
of Figure 16 formed by connecting together six of the
triangular components shown in Figures 1 and 2. The flat
components of Figures 1 - 8 are connected together by
connectors 6 shown in Figures 9, 10 and 11. Larger planar
structures such as the hexagon of Figure 16 or
three-dimensional structures such as the dodecahedron 2 of
Figure 17 are connected together to form more elaborate
structures such as the model of Figure 18 by at least
three different methods. Firstly, each of the flat
components, such as four-sided component 8 of Figures 3
128894~
.
--5--
and 4, is fitted with a protrusion 10 near each corner on
the top side thereof and a complementary socket 12 on the
bottom thereof near each corner. The sockets and
protrusions extend perpendicularly to the plane defined by
the flat component and are capable of connecting similar
flat components together as illustrated in Figure 5.
Alternatively, each flat component has a plurality of
sockets 14 arranged around the edge thereof, two adjacent
each corner. These sockets are capable of receiving one
end of a rod 23 as shown in Figure 3, the other end of
which may be fitted to another flat component to connect
them together. A third method employs plate-like members,
such as four-sided plate-like member 18 shown partly
broken away in Figure 4. Member 18 spans the square
centre opening 20 of component 8 and has a central
socket 22 capable of receiving a rod, such as rod 24 of
Figure 7, the other end of which is capable of being
fitted into an equivalent socket in another plate-like
member fitted to a flat component of any shape provided.
Referring to the flat components in more detail,
it may be seen in Figures 3 and 4 that the four-sided flat
component 8 has an elongated rod 25 extending along each
side thereof to form a perimeter fxame with four corner
portions 26. The rods are cylindrical in shape and are,
in this embodiment, integral with the corner portions.
The corner portions 26 have three flat flanges 28, 30 and
32, as shown in the lower left hand corner portion 26 of
Figure 3, which are co-planar with the flat component.
Flange~ 30 and 32 are seen on edge in the side elevation
of Figure 5 which shows two components 8 connected
together. The flat flanges are strengthened by webs 34
and 36 which extend outwardly from each corner along the
inside of each of the corner portions towards the
rods 24. Perpendicular webs 38 and 40 extend from webs 34
and 36 adjacent the rods. There are also strengthening
webs 42 and 44 extending perpendicularly towards the sides
of the flat components at each corner on the top of
'
128l394~3
sockets 14 and equivalent webs 46 and 48 on the bottom of
the socke~s. The corner portions including the
perpendicular webs, such as webs 42 and 46, have curved
outer edges as seen for example in Figure 5. This allows
adjacent flat components to be in contact while connected
at different angular positions as described below and
shown in Figures 12 - 14. As described previously, there
is a protrusion 10, generally in the shape of a
cylindrical tube, on the top of each corner portion and a
complementary socket 12 directly below it on the bottom of
each corner portion. These are adapted ~o be inter-fitted
as shown in Figure 5. The remaining corner portions of
the four-sided component of Figures 3 and 4 are identical
to the one described.
Figures l and 2 show a three-sided or triangular
flat component 50 provided with three rods 52 and three
corner portions 54. The rods and corner portions are
similar to those of the four-sided component with
necessary adjustments to the shape, particularly of the
corner portions as may be seen. Likewise, the five-sided
component 56 of Figure 8 is similar, having five rods 58
and five corner portions 60.
Figures 9 - 11 illustrate connector 6 used to
connect the flat components together. As shown best in
Figure lO, each connector has a pair of recesses 62 and 64
which are substantially U-shaped to releasably embrace
adjacent pairs of rods of adjacent flat components, such
as the rods 25 of four-sided flat components 8 of
Figures 3 and 4. It may be observed that the recesses
face outwardly in the same direction, namely downwards
from the point of view and in the orientation of
Figure lO. The recesses are elongated as may be observed
in the left connector 6 shown inverted in Figure 16.
The recesses 62 and 64 of each connector are
separated by a central portion 66 having an outer end 67
:, '`'
128~g48
defined by inner sides 68 and 70 of the recesses which, as
may be seen in Figure 10, are angled towards each other so
the central portion tapers towards its outer end 67. At
the same time, the recesses have concavely curved outer
sides 72 and 74 respectively to form narrowed outer
openings 76 and 78 for each recess. Thus the recesses are
capable of receiving the rods of the flat members with a
snapping action. At the same time, because the central
portion is tapered it can be fitted between adjacent rods
without displacing them or the flat components of which
they are a part. This is shown best in Figure 15. It may
be seen readily that connector 6 can be rotated
counter-clockwise ~rom the illustrated position to connect
together rods 80 and 82 without moving the rods at all
when the edges of the flat components touch. The central
portion 66 is tapered and so does not displace the rods 80
and 82 as it is rotated between the rods, rather the
snapping action is accomplished by outward deformation of
the concave outer sides 72 and 74 of connector 6.
The connectors have outwardly directed lateral
lips 82 and 84 extending along opposite sides, these lips
provide grips for pushing the connectors into position or
removing them to disassemble a structure.
Each component also has a socket 86 on the top
thereof as illustrated in Figure 9. This provides another
means for connecting together a structure employing rods,
such as rod 24 in Figure 7. Opposite ends of the rods can
be fitted within the sockets 86 of two different
connectors or may connect the connectors to plate-like
members, for example using socket 22 shown in Figure 7, or
to the flat components, for example using sockets 14 shown
in Figure 4.
The connectors may be used to connect together
flat components at various angular positions relative to
each other. Figures 12 to 14 illustrate this for
~.,
128894~3
--8--
fragments of two flat components 88 and 90. In Figure 12,
the flat components are adjacent and parallel, in Figure
13 they form an obtuse angle with each other and Figure 14
the components are co-planar. This last type of
connection is used in Figure 16 where six of the
connectors 6 are used to connect together six thrèe-sided
components 50 to form a hexagon.
As stated, each of the flat components is
substantially a perimeter frame having an open centre
portion, such as the centre opening 20 for the four-sided
component shown in Figure 4. To fill the open centre
portion and give a structure a solid appearance, a
plurality of plate-like members is provided. Figure 4
illustrated the four-sided plate-like member which is
shaped to releasably fit within centre opening 20 and span
it. The plate-like member is the same shape as the centre
opening and has, in this case, four rounded corner
portions 92, only one of which is shown in Figure 4.
These corner portions are shaped to fit over sockets 12.
Each plate-like member has a central socket, such as
socket 22 shown in Figure 7, for receiving a rod 24 as
shown. Four strengthening webs 58, lO0, 102 and 104
radiate outwards from the socket towards each corner.
These strengthen the plate-like member to provide rigidity.
Three-sided plate-like members 106 ` and
five-sided plate-like members 108 are also provided as
shown in Figures 2 and 8. These are similar in
construction to the member 18 shown in Figure 4 apart from
tha number of sides and thus are not described in detail.
The invention is not confined to the precise
details of the foregoing example, and many variations and
modifications are possible within the scope of the
invention. For example the flat components may be of any
suitable three dimensional angular shape in which the
length and breadth greatly exceed, e.g. are at least four
.,~. ~.~
~ "
1288948
g
times, the thickness of the components. The lengths of
the sides of the or most of the components are preferably
substantially equal. The lengths of the rods between the
corner portions are preferably substantially equal and
substantially equal to or only slightly greater ~han the
lengths of the connectors, so that the connectors serve to
prevent or limit relative lateral movement between
adjacent connected sides.
The connectors may provide any suitably disposed
and shaped recesses, and the invention further provides a
connector for use in connecting the components. The
connectors and components are preferably arranged so that
particular surfaces or edges of the corner portions of
ad~acent connected sides abut or are located proximal to
each other by the connector connecting the sides; and
preferably also so that one of the components may be moved
arcuately relative to the other about an axis or axes
passing along or between the connected rods through the
connector, said particular surfaces or edges being shaped
to permit such movement, to provide a hinge function at
the connection.
The invention further provides a component for
use in the apparatus and arranged to present an angular
thin frame, the sides of which are shaped to accept a
connector of a form disclosed hereinbefore. Each
component may have corner portions connected by elongate
members which may be integral with, fixedly secured to or
releasably secured to the corner portions. The compcnent
may have any functional feature or combination of features
or mechanical equivalent of such features as are herein
disclosed or shown in the drawings.
Furthermore the terms used herein are used by
way of example only and not by way of limitation. For
example, the webs may be considered to be flanges, and
vice versa, or be considered to be shaped or flat surface
or edge providing equivalent portions of the components.
