Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TITLE
INTERCONNECTING TOY BLOCK
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a novel toy and in
particular to a building block capable of being
interconnected with similar blocks to form a ~ariety of
shapes in three dimensions.
There is a variety of toy blocks in which individual
blocks are interconnected to form larger structures.
Typical of these are the toys disclosed by Sakamoto, U.S.
Pat. No. 3,701,214; Poleri, U.S. Pat. No. 4,202,131; and
~oe et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,249,336. These blocks and
block sets require a number of differently shaped pieces
for assembly of structures, the means for attaching
adjacent block units lie solely along axes which define a
single plane, or they require the use of connections which
lie along more than two axes to couple adjacent blocks to
form a planar structure.
Accordingly, the cost and complexity of the resulting
block sets are increased, or the shapes of structures
constructed with these blocks are limited because the user
is either unable to utilize connection means in all three
dimensions or is unable to construct a planar structure
utilizing connection means which lie solely along axes
defining a single plane.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTlON
It is an object of the present invention to overcome
these limitations by providing a block which includes a
series of protrusions and complementary recesses spaced
about the circumference of the block so as to allow the
block to interlock with identically shaped blocks to form
a sheet-like planar structure. The block is also provided
with means to interconnect with additional blocks on
either surace of the planar structure including a
protrusion extending from one surface of each block along
an axis perpendicular to the planar structure, and a
complimentary mating recess formed on the other surface of
each block. The user is thus able to build in a third
dimension by means of a slip fit between the mating
surface recesses and surface protrusions.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a
set of identically shaped blocks of various colors so that
the blocks may be arranged to form various patterns for
representational or decorative purposes.
The above objects, as well as others, are
particularly achieved by a block comprising a body
including opposed first and second major surfaces and a
circumferential edge wall extending between the first and
second surfaces; a plurality of protrusions disposed at
spaced locations around the edge wall, and a plurality of
complimentary recesses at spaced locations around the edge
wall, each edge recess being adapted to releasably receive
a protrusion of an adjacent one of the blocks; at least
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one protrusion projecting from the first surface; and a
mating recess complimentary to the protrusion from the
first surface formed in the second surface of the block
whereby the block may be stacked upon and releasably
interconnected with other blocks to form a three
dimensional multi-block structure.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The above, as well as other advantages of the present
invention, will become readily apparent to those skilled
in the art from the following detailed description of a
preferred embodiment when considered in the light of the
accompanying drawings in which:
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a block embodying the
features of the invention;
Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the block illustrated
in Fig. 1 taken along the line 2-2 thereof;
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the block illustrated
in Fig. 1 showing an opposite surface thereof; and
Fig. 4 is a perspective view of an assemblage of
several of the blocks with edge protrusions mated with
complimentary edge recesses of adjacent blocks, and with
surface protrusions mated with complementary surface
recesses.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The toy blocks of the present invention may be made
of any material which may be suitably formed, preferably
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by molding. One material which has been found to be
suitable is Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE)~ The blocks
are molded into shape by means of any eonventional molding
process. The blocks may be manufactured in a variety of
colors, to the end that the blocks may be grouped
aceording to color during assembly, to achieve a desired
artistic, aesthetic, or representational effect, and an
ample supply and variety of these blocks are typically
supplied in a single kit.
Referring initially to Figs. 1, 2, and 3, each ~lock
includes a first lo, generally rectangular in plan, and
preferably substantially square in plan. A second surface
~2 is spaced apart from the first surface 10, and is
similar in outline to the first surface 10. A
circumferential edge wall 14 interconnects the first
surface 10 and the second surface 12. Identical edge
protrusions 16 project from the edge wall ~4 at the
midpoints of two opposing sides of the block, and extend
from the first surface 10 to the second surface 12. The
perimeter of each edge protrusion ~6 defines a circular
are of greater than 180 degrees. The edge protrusion 16
has a longitudinal axis perpendicular to the first surface
10 and the second surface 12.
An edge recess 18 is formed in the body on each of
the two remaining sides of the body. ~ach edge recess 18
is complementary to the shape of an edge protrusion 16,
and adapted to releasably receive the edge protrusion 16
of an adjacent block.
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A cylindrical protrusion 20 extends axially from the
center of the first surface 10. The protrusion 20 may be
~ormed with an internal cavity 2~ to reduce the amount of
material required to produce the block.
A cylindrical recess 24 extends axially into the
block from the center of the second surface 12, and
opposite the protrusion 20 as clearly ill-lstrated ln Figs.
2 and 3. The shape of the recess 24 is complementary to
the shape of the cylindrical protrusion 20 from the first
surface 10.
It will be appreciated that various ones of the
blocks may be suitably joined edge to edge or in stacked
relationship to ~orm any of a variety of planar or three
dimensional multi-block structures. As illustrated in
Fig. 4, for example, blocks embodying the features of the
present invention may be assembled to form a planar
structure by releasably interconnecting the edge
protrusion 16 of a block 4a with the edge recess 18 of the
adjacent block 4b, and the edge recesses 18 of the block
4a with the edge protrusions 16 of the blocks 4c and 4d.
These blocks may, in turn, be similarly interconnected
with other adjacent blocks, 4e and 4f. The edge
protrusion 16 tends to keep the individual blocks in
planar relationship because the longitudinal length of the
edge protxusion 16 is greater than the diameter thereof.
This relationship enables the edge protrusion 16 to resist
bending moments about its longitudinal axis which are
gener~lly coplanar with the adjacent edge wall 14.
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Additionally, the blocks may be joined axially or
stacked one upon another. The protrusion 20 is suitably
siæed to be frictionally slip~fitted into the recess 24 of
another block, thereby releasably coupling the two blocks.
As illustrated, the protrusion 20 of the block 4e has been
slip-fitted into the recess 24 of a block 4g; in turn, the
protrusion 20 of the block 4g may be slip-fitted inko the
recess 24 of a block ~h. The illustrated arrangement of
blocks 4e, 4g and 4h is one example of how the blocks may
be stacked one upon another. The blocks may also be
stacke~ with one block rotated relative the subjacent
block, as indicated by blocks 4i and ~f. Note that the
corner 26 of the block 4i does not contact the protrusion
20 from the block 4d located adjacent the block 4f which
is subjacent to block 4i. This feature allows individual
blocks to be axially assembled or stacked and rotated
without regard to the presence of blocks adjacent a
subjacent block.
It will be appreciated that the edge protrusions 20
of a first block embodying the features of the present
invention may be suitably inserted into the edge recess 18
of a second block such that the first surface lo of the
first block will be coplanar with the second surface of
the second block.
In accordance with the provisions of the patent
statutes, the present invention has been described in what
is considered to represent its preferred embodiment.
However, it should be noted that the invention can be
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practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and
described without departing from its spirit or scope. For
example, it is fully contemplated that the body of the
block may assume any of a number of polygonal shapes, such
as a rectangle or a hexagon; the number and disposition of
edge protrusions 16 and edge recesses 18 may likewise be
varied. The number of protrusions 20 from the first
surface ~0 and corresponding recesses 24 from the second
surface 12 may be increased, and their disposition varied.
Thus, the scope of the invention should be determined
by the appended claims and thei.r legal equivalents, rather
than by the examples given.
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