Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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A toy block, a toy block connecting element and a toy block element for
producing a toy block
The present invention relates to a toy block comprising a side-
wall with an inner surface and an outer surface intended for abutment
against a surface of a corresponding toy block said sidewall comprising a
through hole for receipt of a catch portion of a connecting element and a
recess in said outer surface adjacent the through hole, and said toy
block comprising a catch for engaging and holding the catch portion of a
connecting element. The present invention further relates to a toy block
connecting element for interconnecting such toy blocks. The present in-
vention further relates to a toy block element for producing such a toy
block.
A toy block of the abovementioned type is known from US
5,645,464. The known toy block is hollow and has a wall with a circular
opening, a flange recessed within said opening, a central aperture and at
least two holes adjacent to and in connection with said aperture. Each of
the at least two holes further comprise semi-cylindrical resilient supports
supporting two semicircular shaped knobs integrally connected with said
flange for the purpose of interconnecting two toy blocks. Furthermore
US 5,645,464 discloses a switch lock for interconnecting said toy blocks
by engagement with said retaining knob means. The switch lock com-
prises a rigid disc and two shafts attached to opposite sides of said disc.
Each shaft comprises a head portion adapted to fit in said aperture and
said holes of said opening in said toy block wall to be retained by said
knobs. By engagement with said knob retaining means the head portion
of said switch lock serves both the purpose of holding the blocks con-
nected and prevent mutual rotation of block and connection element.
The prior known toy block is disadvantageous primarily in that
the switch lock and the knob retaining means provide an unsatisfactory
prevention of mutual rotation between block and connecting element
during the engaging action.
Hence, the object of the present invention is to satisfactorily
prevent mutual rotation between a toy block and a connection element
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for such a toy block when the connecting element is inserted in the toy
block.
Another object of the invention is to provide a toy block element
for producing such an improved toy block, which toy block element may
be moulded in one piece and using one mould, hence being manufactur-
able in a simple and less costly process.
According to a first aspect of the invention these objects are
achieved by a toy block of the abovementioned type, wherein said catch
is situated in the interior of the toy block in a distance from said inner
surface, and in that at least one of said recess and said through hole is
non-circular. In a preferred embodiment said distance from said inner
surface to said catch is at least 1 mm.
Thereby a toy block is provided in which prevention of mutual
rotation between block and connecting element is provided by the non-
circular recess and/or hole, and in which the catch portion serves to hold
the blocks connected, hence separating these two actions spatially. Such
a construction provides a considerable improvement of the prevention of
mutual rotation between block and connecting element.
According to a second aspect of the invention the objects of the
invention are achieved by a toy block connecting element for intercon-
necting toy blocks, comprising a central flat portion with two opposite
surfaces and a circumference, a catch portion for engagement with a
catch of the toy block rising from at least one of said surfaces, wherein
at least one of the cross section of catch portion and the circumference
of the flat portion is non-circular and wherein said catch portion com-
prises at least one catch leg, said catch leg comprising at least one en-
gagement means on an outer section of the catch leg opposite said cen-
tral flat portion.
Thereby a toy block connecting element is provided in which the
at least one of the flat portion and the catch portion being non-circular
upon insertion in a toy block may engage with that of the recess or
through hole respectively likewise being noncircular of a toy block to lock
the toy block connecting element with the toy block such that prevention
of mutual rotation is considerably improved.
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According to a third aspect of the invention the objects of the
invention are achieved by a toy block element for producing a toy block
according to the invention, wherein the toy block element comprises a
circumferential wall comprising an outer surface, an inner surface and an
open edge adapted to be joined with an open edge of a corresponding
toy block element, said circumferential wall being cylindrical adjacent the
open edge having a generator direction, said wall comprising adjacent its
open edge in its outer surface at least one recess, said recess comprising
a bottom, and a through hole in said bottom, said hole opening into the
open edge, at least one of said recess and said through hole being non-
semicircular, said toy block element further comprising at least one first
leg portion extending parallel to the generator direction to a level in a vi-
cinity of a level of the open edge to provide at least part of a catch of a
toy block.
Thereby a toy block element is provided for producing a toy
block according to the first aspect of the invention and as described
above in a particularly simple and advantageous manner by joining the
open edge of the toy block element with a corresponding toy block ele-
ment such that the recesses of the respective toy block elements join to
form a recess of the produced toy block, while the respective first leg
portions form a catch of the toy block, hence providing the abovemen-
tioned advantages.
According to a particularly preferred embodiment the first leg
element is resilient and flexible in a direction perpendicular to said gen-
erator direction, thereby providing a coupling between catch and catch
portion and thereby block and connecting element making it easier, par-
ticularly for a child, to insert and remove said connecting element in and
from said toy block.
According to a preferred embodiment the toy block element ac-
cording to the invention further comprises at least one second leg por-
tion extending parallel to the generator direction to a level in a vicinity of
a peripheral point of the through hole opposite said open edge to provide
part of a catch of a toy block. Thereby an improved and more stable hold
of a connecting element according to the invention upon inserting such a
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connecting element in a through hole of a toy block produced by the use
of such toy block elements is provided.
According to a particularly preferred embodiment at least one of
said first leg portion and said second leg portion comprises a transversal
portion extending over at least part of the distance between the inner
surface of the circumferential wall and the respective leg portion.
Thereby a further improved hold of a connecting element according to
the invention, particularly in a transverse direction of said connecting
element, upon inserting such a connecting element in a through hole of
a toy block produced by the use of such toy block elements is provided.
According to a preferred embodiment the at least one of said re-
cess and said through hole being non-semicircular is shaped substan-
tially as a halved cross. Thereby a non-semicircular recess, or through
hole, is provided which may be constructed such that it is symmetric
about a centre axis, whereby all toy block elements having identically
shaped circumferential walls may be moulded using one and the same
mould, thus providing a particularly cost effective toy block element.
According to a particularly preferred embodiment the at least
one of said recess and said through hole being non-semicircular com-
prises a first and a second leg parts extending substantially in parallel
with said open edge and separated by a third leg part extending substan-
tially perpendicular to said open edge. Thereby a particularly simple em-
bodiment of the abovementioned halved cross shape is provided.
According to a further particularly preferred embodiment of a
toy block element according to the invention the toy block element com-
prises a base wall being merged in at least one of a curve and an angle
with the circumferential wall opposite said open edge, wherein said base
wall comprises at least one non-circular recess, said recess comprising a
bottom and a through hole in said bottom, at least one of said recess
and said through hole being non-circular, at least one third leg portion
rising from the base wall adjacent said through hole into an interior of
the toy block to provide at least part of a catch of a toy block. Thereby a
toy block element is provided by which toy blocks produced by the use
of such elements as a consequence of the additional wall provided may
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assume a wider range of geometrical shapes and may by the use of toy
block connecting elements be combined in a wider range of possibilities
as compared to a toy block produced by the use of toy block elements
with no such base wall, the prior mentioned advantages regarding the
5 hold and rotation of a toy block connecting element also being main-
tained as regards a catch of the base wall.
According to a particularly preferred embodiment said third leg
portion is resilient and flexible in a direction perpendicular to said gen-
erator direction, thereby providing a coupling between catch and catch
portion and thereby block and connecting element making it easier, par-
ticularly for a child, to insert and remove said connecting element in and
from said toy block.
According to a preferred embodiment the base wall further
comprises at least one fourth leg portion rising from the base wall adja-
cent said through hole to provide part of a catch of a toy block. Thereby
an improved hold of a connecting element according to the invention
upon inserting such a connecting element in a through hole of a base
wall of a toy block produced by the use of such toy block elements is
provided.
According to a preferred embodiment the fourth leg portion fur-
ther comprises a transversal portion. Thereby a further improved hold of
a connecting element according to the invention, particularly in a trans-
verse direction of said connecting element, upon inserting such a con-
necting element in a through hole of a base wall of a toy block produced
by the use of such toy block elements is provided.
According to a preferred embodiment of a toy block element ac-
cording to the invention the said first, second, third and/or fourth leg
portion further comprises at least one adjacent element adapted to sup-
port the first, second, third and/or fourth leg portion, whereby a toy
block having further improved catch regarding stability and durability
may be provided using such toy block elements.
According to a preferred embodiment at least a part of said
circumferential wall and/or of said base wall is curved, thereby expand-
ing the possible range of shapes of block elements considerably.
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According to a particularly preferred embodiment the toy block
element is moulded in one piece. Thereby the toy block may be pro-
duced using a particularly simple and cost efficient production process.
According to a fourth aspect of the invention a toy block com-
prising two toy block elements according to the invention is provided,
said toy block elements being joined together by their respective open
edges. The joining together of said toy block elements is preferably ac-
complished by welding, preferably ultrasonic sealing. Hereby a toy block
with the desired advantages and a particularly simple and efficient seal-
ing may be achieved by the use of a particularly simple sealing process.
According to a fifth aspect of the invention a toy building set
comprising a plurality of toy blocks according to the invention, said toy
blocks having one or more different outer shapes, and a plurality of toy
block connecting elements according to the invention is provided.
The invention will now be described in further detail based on a
non-limiting exemplary embodiment, and with reference to the draw-
ings. In the drawings,
Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a toy block
according to the invention,
Fig. 2a and 2b shows a side and a top view respectively of an
embodiment of a toy block connecting element according to the inven-
tion,
Fig. 3a and 3b shows a side and a top view respectively of a
second embodiment of a toy block connecting element according to the
invention,
Fig. 4a and 4b shows a side and a top view respectively of a
third embodiment of a toy block connecting element according to the in-
vention,
Fig. 5a and 5b shows a side and a top view respectively of a
fourth embodiment of a toy block connecting element according to the
invention,
Fig. 6 shows a perspective view of one embodiment of a toy
block element according to the invention,
Fig. 7 shows a perspective view of a toy block element accord-
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ing to fig. 6 engaging two connecting elements according to fig. 2a,
Fig. 8 shows a toy block element according to fig. 6 seen from
above,
Fig. 9 shows the outside of a toy block element according to fig.
6 seen from one side,
Fig. 10 shows the outside of a toy block element according to
fig. 6 seen from below, and
Figs 11-14 show four other embodiments of toy block elements
according to the invention being shaped as a D, a quarter circle, a trian-
gle and a U respectively.
With reference to fig. 1 a toy block 1 according to the invention
comprises a side wall 2 with an inner surface (not visible) facing the in-
terior of the toy block 1 and an outer surface 3 intended for abutment
with another toy block. The side wall 2 comprises one or more through
holes 4 (a total of three are shown) and a recess 5 in the surface 3 adja-
cent each through hole 4. At least one of the recess 5 and the through
hole 4 is non-circular. In the embodiment shown, both the recess 5 and
the through hole 4 are shaped substantially as a cross, but any non-
circular shape such as for instance rectangular or triangular may in prin-
ciple be used and only one of the recess 5 and the through hole 4 need
necessarily be non-circular. The through hole 4 is intended for receipt of
a toy block connecting element, a preferred embodiment of such a toy
block connecting element being shown in figs. 2A and 2B. In the em-
bodiment of the toy block 1 shown in fig. 1, the toy block consists of two
toy block elements according to the invention being joined along a joint
24. The toy block element according to the invention and the joining to-
gether of such toy block elements will be described in detail below.
With reference to figs. 2A and 2B a preferred embodiment of a
toy block connecting element 6 according to the invention comprises a
central flat portion 9 with two opposite surfaces 10a, 10b, the flat por-
tion 9 having a circumference 8. The shape of the circumference 8 is
such that it fits in a recess of a toy block. In the embodiment shown, the
circumference 8 is shaped substantially as a cross to fit in the cross
shaped recess 5 of the toy block 1 according to fig. 1, but any shape of
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circumference may in principle be used, as long as the shape of the cir-
cumference matches at least a part of that of a recess of a toy block.
Rising from either surface 10a, 10b is a catch portion 7. In the embodi-
ment shown each of the catch portions 7 comprise four separate catch
legs 30. Each catch leg 30 is preferably resilient and comprises an inner
catch leg section 30a and an outer catch leg section 30b. The inner catch
leg section 30a comprises an outward facing surface 33. The outer catch
leg section 30b comprises an outward facing surface having two surface
sections 31 and 32. In the preferred embodiment as shown in figs. 2A
and 2B the surface section 31 raises gradually from the level of the out-
ward facing surface 33 of the inner catch leg section 30a to a highest
point 36 situated between the ends of the outer catch leg section 30b.
The surface sections 31 and 32 adjoin at said highest point 36 from
which the surface section 32 gradually falls to reach its lowest level at its
end opposite surface section 31. Thus the surface sections 31, 32 in
combination provide an engagement means in the form of a projection
on the outer catch leg section 30b. In principle the engagement means
could also be an indentation in the outer catch leg section 30b. The
length of the inner catch leg 30a substantially equals a distance between
the inner surface and the corresponding leg portion of the catch of a toy
block 1, such that the outer catch leg portion 30b with its projection may
in a snap locking manner engage with a catch of a toy block 1, the catch
portion 7 thus providing an engagement with a catch of a toy block 1
upon insertion in the toy block 1. Such a catch of a toy block 1 will be
described in detail below.
Fig. 3A and 3B shows an alternative embodiment of a toy block
connecting element according to the invention. The toy block connecting
element 6 of figs. 3A and 3B is identical with that of figs. 2A and 2B ex-
cept for the embodiment of the outer catch leg section 30b. In this par-
ticular embodiment the surface section 31 of the outer catch leg section
30b rises substantially perpendicular to the outward facing surface 33 of
the inner catch leg section 30a to a highest point 36 from which the sur-
face section 32 falls gradually to reach its lowest level at its end opposite
surface section 31. This embodiment provides for a tighter engagement
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with a catch of a toy block as compared to the preferred embodiment of
figs. 2A and 2B, the latter being somewhat easier to release in order to
separate toy block and connecting element. Thus a steeper raising angle
of the surface section 31 provides a tighter engagement with a catch of a
toy block. The gradual raise of the surface section 32 serves to provide
an easier insertion of the catch portion 7 into a through hole of a toy
block.
In further embodiments of a toy block connecting element ac-
cording to the invention the catch legs 30 may be resilient or rigid, and
fewer or more catch legs 30 may be provided i.a. depending on the
shape of the central portion 9 and/or the shape of the catch of the toy
block. For instance a central intermediate portion rising from the central
flat portion 9 and extending between at least two of the catch legs 30
may be provided joining two or more of the catch legs 30. In a not
shown embodiment the presence of such a central intermediate portion
may result in a catch portion having a cross sectional shape of for in-
stance a plus or a circle. Furthermore, as shown on the figs., the tip 34
of each of the outer catch leg sections 30b of each catch leg 30 is pref-
erably rounded such as to prevent sharp ends, that may inflict damage
upon blocks and/or users when connecting toy blocks 1. Of crucial im-
portance is solely the configuration of the outwards facing surface sec-
tions corresponding to 31, 32 of fig. 2A, that the shape of the flat central
section 9 and the recess 5 match and that the cross sectional shape of
the catch portion 7 is such that it at least may be inserted in the hole 4
and preferably matches the shape of the hole 4.
Shown in figs. 4A and 4B is another embodiment of a connect-
ing element 6 according to the invention. This embodiment differs from
that of figs 2A and 2B in two regards. Firstly, the circumference 8 of the
flat portion 9 is provided with a number of notches 37 situated on the
part of the circumference 8 intermediate between a catch leg 30 of each
of the catch portions 7. This embodiment provides for added flexibility of
the catch legs 30 as compared to the embodiment of figs. 2A and 2B.
Secondly, the part of the circumference 8 intended to abut the recess 5
of a toy block 1 as described further below is limited to constitute the
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sections between each two catch legs 30.
When inserting such a toy block connecting element according
to the embodiment shown in figs. 2A and 2B in a toy block according to
the invention, a catch portion 7 is pushed through the through hole 4 to
5 be received by a catch of a toy block 1, the catch being situated in the
inside of the toy block, thus not being visible in fig. 1. The catch portion
7 is pushed into the toy block 1 until the circumference 8 of the flat por-
tion 9 abuts the recess 5 of the toy block 1. In this way the engagement
between the catch of the toy block and the catch portion 7 of the con-
10 necting element prevents longitudinal movement of the connecting ele-
ment 6, while the engagement between those of flat portion 9 and re-
cess 5 or through hole 4 and catch portion 7 having at least partially
matching non-circular circumferences prevent radial movement of the
connecting element 6. The other catch portion 7 of the connecting ele-
ment 6 may then be inserted in a through hole 4 and catch of another
toy block 1, thus connecting the two toy blocks. In this way the en-
gagement holding the toy blocks together and the engagement prevent-
ing rotation of the blocks both with respect to each other and with re-
spect to the connecting element are separated. Furthermore, to ensure
that the outer surfaces 3 of the two toy blocks 1 abut each other upon
connection with a connecting element 6, the thickness of the central flat
portion 9 of the connecting element 6 preferably substantially equals or
is slightly smaller than the combined depth of the recesses 5 in the re-
spective surfaces 3.
Notwithstanding the above it may, however, when building
structures by connecting toy blocks according to the invention be desir-
able to be able to rotate one of two toy blocks 1 held together by a con-
necting element 6 relative to the other block without compromising the
engagement holding the blocks together. To achieve this the central flat
portion 9 of a connecting element according to the invention may, in an-
other embodiment shown in figs. 5A and 513, be provided in two parts
coupled together using a frictional coupling. Such a frictional coupling
may provide for continuous or graduated rotation. In this way the two
catch portions 7 may be rotated relative to each other about their longi-
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tudinal axis.
Referring now to fig. 6 showing a perspective view and fig. 8
showing a top view of a toy block element 11 according to the invention,
such a toy block element 11 comprises in the embodiment shown a
circumferential wall 12 and a base wall 21. The circumferential wall 12
comprises an outer surface 13, an inner surface 14 and an open edge
15. Adjacent the open edge 15 the circumferential wall 12 is cylindrical
with an axial direction being parallel with a generator direction defined
by an arrow 16 shown in fig. 6. The circumferential wall 12 furthermore
comprises adjacent its open edge 15 a recess 5a. As it is seen more
clearly in fig. 9, the recess 5a comprises a bottom 18 and a through hole
4a in the bottom 18. The through hole 4a opens into the open edge 15
such that the adjacent recess 5a forms a transition 15a with the open
edge 15 at either side of the through hole 4a. Upon joining the open
edge 15 with the open edge of a corresponding toy block element the
transitions 15a of the toy block element 11 are intended to coincide with
the corresponding transitions between the open edge and the recess of
the corresponding toy block element. According to the invention at least
one of the recess 5a and the through hole 4 is non-semicircular.
In the embodiment shown both the through hole 4a and the re-
cess 5a are shaped substantially as a halved cross. In a particularly pre-
ferred embodiment of such a halved cross, that is shown in detail in the
side view of fig. 9, the recess 5a and the hole 4a comprise two recess
legs 17a, 17b extending substantially in parallel with the open edge 15
and separated by a recess leg 17c extending substantially perpendicular
to the open edge 15. However any non-semicircular shape may in prin-
ciple be used and only one of the recess 5a and the through hole 4a
need be non-semicircular in shape.
Referring again to fig. 6, in the embodiment shown the circum-
ferential wall 12 comprises four equally sized sides, thus forming a block
element 11 with a quadratic shape. A circumferential wall of a toy block
element according to the invention however merely need have at least
one side, and may in principle have any number of sides equal to or lar-
ger than one, and each side may be straight, partially curved or curved
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as desired, thus providing for a large variety of shapes of toy block ele-
ments.
The toy block element 11 further comprises at least one first leg
portion 19. The first leg portion 19 extends in a direction parallel to a
generator direction denoted on fig. 6 by an arrow 16 to a level in a vicin-
ity of a level of the open edge 15 and is situated inside the circumferen-
tial wall 12 at a distance from the inner surface 14, the distance prefera-
bly in any case being at least 1 mm. In the preferred embodiment of a
toy block according to the invention, this distance is preferably approxi-
mately 4 mm. This distance, however, obviously depends on the overall
size of the toy block such that the larger the toy block is, the larger the
preferred distance will be, the mentioned approximately 4 mm being in-
tended used in a toy block having a size in the order of 3x3x3 cm in the
cubic version shown in fig. 1. The first leg portion 19 thus provides at
least part of a catch of a toy block 1 according to the invention. The first
leg portion 19 may be resilient in a direction perpendicular to said gen-
erator direction 16. The first leg portion 19 may furthermore comprise a
transverse portion 19a extending over at least part of the distance be-
tween inner surface 14 and first leg portion 19. In the embodiment
shown the transverse portion 19a covers the entire said distance, thus
connecting the first leg portion 19 and the inner surface 14. At the inner
surface 14 the transverse portion 19a is preferably shaped such as to be
substantially flush with the adjacent section of the circumference of the
through hole 4a, substantially without covering any of the open area of
the through hole 4a.
The toy block element 11 may further comprise at least one
second leg portion 20. The second leg portion 20 extends in a direction
parallel to the generator direction 16 to a level in a vicinity of peripheral
point of the through hole 4a opposite the open edge 15 and is situated
inside the circumferential wall 12 at a distance from the inner surface
14, the distance preferably being between 3 mm and 10 mm. The sec-
ond leg portion 20 thus provides part of a catch of a toy block 1 accord-
ing to the invention. The second leg portion 20 is preferably of a rigid
structure. The second leg portion 20 may furthermore comprise a trans-
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verse portion 20a extending over at least part of the distance between
inner surface 14 and second leg portion 20. In the embodiment shown
the transverse portion 20a covers the entire said distance, thus connect-
ing the second leg portion 20 and the inner surface 14. At the inner sur-
face 14 the transverse portion 20a is preferably shaped such as to be
substantially flush with the adjacent section of the circumference of the
through hole 4a, substantially without covering any of the open area of
the through hole 4a.
The transverse portions 19a, 20a extend in the generator direc-
tion 16 and may furthermore serve to support the catch portion 7 of a
connecting element 6 upon insertion such that the outward facing sur-
face 33 and surface sections 31, 32 of a catch leg 30 may slide along a
surface of a transverse portion 19a or 20a, thus facilitating the insertion
(and later removal) of a connecting element 6 in a toy block 1. In this
embodiment the transverse portions 19a, 20a extend to a level flush
with the level to which the corresponding leg portion 19, 20 respectively
extends. The thickness of the transverse portions 19a and in particular
20a should preferably be sufficient to serve their supportive purpose, but
is otherwise of lesser importance.
In the embodiment shown both the first 19 and the second 20
leg portion furthermore extend in a plane parallel to the circumferential
wall 12 such that they meet each other. This provides for a simple and
particularly durable structure of the catch. The presence of transverse
portions 19a and 20a would improve durability of the catch of the toy
block even further.
In other embodiments the first 19 and/or the second 20 leg por-
tion may comprise one or more further adjacent elements (not shown)
to further support and stabilize the leg portions 19, 20.
In the embodiment shown a complete catch of a toy block as-
sembled of two toy block elements 11 would thus comprise two first leg
portions 19 and two second leg portions 20. However it is in principle
possible in the simplest form to omit (or indeed substitute them for fur-
ther first leg portions 19) the second leg portions 20, thus letting the
catch comprise two leg portions 19 only.
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In the embodiment shown the toy block element 11 further
comprises a base wall 21. The base wall 21 is shown as merged in a
right angle with the circumferential wall 12, but may also in other em-
bodiments be merged in another angle or in a curve with the circumfer-
ential wall 12, thus increasing the number of possible shapes of toy
block elements according to the invention even further. In a further em-
bodiment it is even possible to omit the base wall 21, thus providing for
toy block elements being shaped as for instance a halved circular or el-
liptical sphere.
In the embodiment shown, and as further illustrated in fig. 10,
the base wall 21 further comprises a recess 5 with a bottom 18 and a
through hole 4 in the bottom 18. As shown in fig. 6 two third leg por-
tions 22 extend from the base wall 21 and into the interior of the toy
block element, the third leg portions 22 being situated adjacent said
through hole 4. The third leg portion 22 provides at least part of a catch
of a toy block according to the invention. The third leg portion 22 may
be resilient and flexible in a direction perpendicular to the generator di-
rection 16.
Furthermore two fourth leg portions 23 are shown to and may
extend from the base wall 21 and into the interior of the toy block ele-
ment, the fourth leg portions 23 also being situated adjacent said
through hole 4. In the embodiment shown the fourth leg portions 23 and
the third leg portions 22 are identically shaped. The fourth leg portions
23 are preferably rigid in structure and provide part of a catch of a toy
block according to the invention.
On the figures the one recess 5 in the base wall 21 is shown
situated in a central position on the base wall 21. However any desired
position may in principle be used, and furthermore more than one recess
5 with related hole 4 and catch may be provided in the base wall 21.
In the embodiment shown a complete catch of a base wall 21 of
a toy block element 11 would thus comprise two third leg portions 22
and two fourth leg portions 23. However it is in principle possible in the
simplest form to omit (or indeed substitute them for further third leg
portions 22) the fourth leg portions 23, thus letting the catch comprise
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two leg portions 22 only.
Fig. 7 shows a toy block element 11 identical to that of fig. 6 in
which the engagement between a catch of a toy block, i.e. the first 19
and second 20 leg portions of a circumferential wall 12 or the third 22
5 and fourth 23 leg portions of a base wall 21, and a catch portion 7 of a
connecting element 6 (in fig. 7 a connecting element 6 of the type
shown in figs. 3A and 3B) is illustrated. It can be seen that the projec-
tion provided by the outward facing surface sections 31, 32 of the outer
catch leg section 30b engage behind the respective leg portion 19, 20,
10 22 or 23, such that the surface section 31 of the outer catch leg section
30b abuts against the surface 25 of the respective leg portion facing the
interior of the toy block element, to provide a hold in the longitudinal di-
rection of the connecting element 6.
Considering the embodiment of a connecting element 6 shown
15 in figs. 2A and 2B, in which the surface section 31 as described previ-
ously rises gradually, only a part of the surface section 31 of the outer
cacth leg section 30b adjacent the surface section 33 of the inner catch
leg section 30a would abut against a surface 25, thus providing a less
tight longitudinal hold, the connecting element consequently being easier
to release, particularly for a child.
A toy block element according to the invention may be produced
entirely in the same relatively hard and durable plastic material by injec-
tion moulding. A preferred such material is ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene
Styrene). To produce a toy block element constructed according to the
invention in principle only one mould is needed for each shape of toy
block element, and only one moulding step is required to form each ele-
ment.
A toy block connecting element according to the invention may
be produced of the same plastic material as the toy block elements and
likewise by injection moulding. Preferably, however, the toy block con-
necting elements are made of polycarbonate.
As mentioned previously one or more of the catch portion of the
connecting element and the first and third leg portions of the catch of
the toy block (and in principle, but less preferred, also the second and
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fourth leg portions of the catch) may be made resilient and flexible. Such
flexibility and resilience is preferably achieved by constructing the mould
used to provide the elements in question with suitable structural dimen-
sions, for instance by making them sufficiently thin to be resilient. How-
ever another but less preferred possibility is to use a more resilient plas-
tic material for moulding the elements resilient and flexible elements. To
produce a toy block according to the invention two toy block elements
according to the invention are joined by bringing their respective open
edges 15 to abut against each other and subsequently seal the open
edges 15 to each other by for instance welding, preferably ultrasonic
sealing. Alternatively the joining may be accomplished by the use of an
adhesive agent, a frictional coupling or by providing each two toy block
elements with corresponding locking elements at their respective open
edges 15.
When each two toy block elements are provided with corre-
sponding locking elements, an alternative way of coupling connection
elements and toy blocks together is to join the toy block elements to-
gether around one or more toy block connecting elements by placing the
connecting elements in one of the toy block elements as the toy block
connecting element 6 is placed in the toy block element 11 in fig. 7.
To aid in the process of bringing the respective open edges to
abut correctly along the whole circumference of the circumferential wall
12 a plurality of plate shaped projections 35 may furthermore be pro-
vided along the open edge 15 of a toy block element 11. An example of
such projections 35 is shown in fig. 9.
Depending on the shape of the toy block elements a wide range
of differently shaped toy blocks according to the invention may be
achieved. Examples of different shapes of toy blocks are shown in figs.
11-14, of which fig. 11 shows toy block with a D-shaped side wall, fig.
12 shows a toy block with a side wall shaped as a quarter circle, fig. 13
shows a toy block with a triangular side wall, and fig. 14 shows a toy
block with a U-shaped side wall.
It should be noted that the above description of preferred em-
bodiments is merely an example, and that the skilled person would know
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that numerous variations are possible without departing from the scope
of the claims.
