Amusement devices: toys – Construction toy – Including abutting elements having slots or apertures...
Patent
1997-12-29
1999-08-17
Hafer, Robert A.
Amusement devices: toys
Construction toy
Including abutting elements having slots or apertures...
446 85, 446124, 446128, A63H 3304, A63H 3308
Patent
active
059384972
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to constructional toys, and is more particularly concerned with improvements to constructional toys of the kind disclosed in United Kingdom Patent Specifications Nos 2 224 953 and 2 271 297.
The constructional toys disclosed in both of the aforementioned United Kingdom patent specifications comprise main building elements in the form of square-section and triangular-section blocks having flat side surfaces, the blocks being joined together side-to-side by connecting elements which slide into grooves, narrower at the mouth than in the remainder of the groove, provided in the side surfaces of the blocks. In the former of the aforementioned United Kingdom patent specifications, the connecting elements are of double dovetail-shaped cross-section and each groove is dovetail-shaped in section, while in the latter, the connecting elements have a cross-section in the shape of a symmetrical four pointed star and each groove has a cross-section shaped to receive two adjacent points of the star shaped cross-section of the connecting element.
By virtue of the cross-sectional shape of its connecting elements, the constructional toy of the latter patent specification is more versatile than the constructional toy of the former specification, in that the main building elements can be connected to the connecting elements in a greater number of relative orientations. However, to achieve easy but fairly tight connection between the main building elements and the connecting elements, the elements must be manufactured, ie moulded, to very tight dimensional tolerances, which can be difficult and/or expensive. Also, the connecting elements need to be accurately aligned with the grooves in the main building elements when connecting the elements together, which can be difficult for young children. It is an object of the present invention to alleviate one or more of these difficulties.
According to the present invention, there is provided a constructional toy comprising a plurality of elements of at least two different types which can be assembled together to form a variety of three-dimensional structures, said elements including: side surfaces, at least one of said surfaces having a groove therein, said groove having a mouth narrower than the remainder thereof; and symmetrical star having 2N points, where N is an integer not less than three, said connecting element being a sliding fit in said groove, with any N adjacent points of its star-shaped cross-section trapped in the groove and the other N points disposed outside the groove.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, each connecting element is hollow, with its internal cross-section preferably being generally similar to its external cross-section, whereby to render the connecting elements at least slightly crushable.
Advantageously, the opposite ends of each connecting element are slightly tapered, and/or the ends of the grooves in each main element are slightly flared (ie progressively increase in cross-sectional area with respect to the main part of the groove).
Each of the abovementioned features of the invention contributes to easier insertion of the connecting elements into the grooves in the main elements, and/or to less demanding dimensional tolerances in the manufacturing process, typically moulding, used to produce the elements.
Advantageously, N is six, although embodiments of the invention in which N is four or even three are possible.
Preferably, each groove is shaped to be substantially complementary in cross-section to the cross-sectional shape of any N adjacent points of the star-shaped cross-section of the connecting element.
Conveniently, each main element has first and second substantially planar, parallel, ends which are interconnected by said side surfaces. Further, each of said side surfaces preferably extends perpendicularly to said ends.
Preferably, each main element has a cross-section, perpendicular to said side surfaces, in the shape of a rectangle or a regular polygon: in the latter case, some main elements may be triangula
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Hafer Robert A.
Morphun Research Limited
Priddy Michael B.
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