Electrically conductive block toy

Details Electrically conductive block toy Electrically conductive block toy

2003-03-17

2004-10-19

Ackun, Jacob K. (Department: 3712)

Amusement devices: toys

Construction toy

Including electrical feature or assembly

C446S484000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06805605

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to children's toys, and more particularly to block toy sets or similar construction systems that include block components or similar parts that can be assembled together to form larger toys.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Block toys remain a popular class of toys for children ranging in ages from preschool age up even into the high school years. Such toys include multiple block components that can be connected to and disconnected from one another (or at least positioned in relation to one another) to assemble and disassemble larger toy entities. Among the most versatile of the block toys, in terms of the complexity of the toy entities that can be constructed using the blocks, are the LEGO® toys and similar toys in which the block components have protrusions and indentations that allow multiple blocks to be combined with, and affixed to, one another.
In recent years, the variety of block components available from block toy manufacturers has increased significantly. In particular, some toy manufacturers now provide block systems that include, in addition to standard block components, specialized components such as gear mechanisms or electronic components such as motors, batteries, electric lights, and even programmable computerized control devices. By way of these more complicated block systems, children can now construct toy entities that more closely resemble real-world systems and perform mechanized or automatic operations.
Despite efforts on the part of block toy manufacturers to design these specialized components in such a way as to make the specialized components compatible with standard block components, compatibility between these different components remains a problem. Children who utilize the specialized components in conjunction with the standard block components must be cognizant of the proper manner in which to assemble the components and cautious not to lose any of the specialized components. Further, because the components can only be assembled in a certain manner, children can in some circumstances be precluded from fashioning toys according to their own designs. Indeed, often the aesthetic appearance of the specialized components is substantially different from that of the standard blocks, such that the specialized components detract from the overall appearance of the toy assemblies built using the block systems.
These problems are particularly evident with respect to the implementation of electrical components in block toy systems. To provide power to and from electrical devices such as motors, lights, and batteries, and to communicate electrical control signals from computerized controllers to other electrical devices, electrical pathways must be provided. While wire cables can be employed to provided the desired connections, the use of wires in block toy systems is both functionally and aesthetically incompatible with the general design of the block components. The use of wires is further complicated when multiple signals or voltages (e.g., a voltage differential) are to be transmitted.
FIGS. 1 and 2
(Prior Art) show one existing component
5
for providing electrical connections in a block toy system, which was developed by The LEGO Group, and was also shown in the Robotics Invention System™ Constructopaedia™ building guide published in 1998. As shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2
, the component
5
includes first and second blocks
10
and
20
, respectively, that are coupled to one another by a cable
15
. Each block
10
,
20
is a two-by-two (square) protrusion/indentation LEGO® block. That is, each block
10
,
20
has a respective first row
25
of two cylindrical protrusions
30
protruding from a respective top side
35
of the respective block, a respective second row
40
of two cylindrical protrusions
30
protruding from the respective top side, a respective first row
45
of two indentations
50
extending inward through a bottom side
55
of the respective block, and a second row
60
of the two indentations
50
extending inward through the bottom side. As is commonly the case in such block toy components, in the embodiment shown the two indentations
50
of each of the first and second rows
45
,
60
are not separated from one another but instead together form a single rectangular channel.
Further as shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2
, within each of the blocks
10
,
20
are first and second electrical conductors
65
and
70
. As shown, each of the electrical conductors
65
,
70
includes a respective flat panel section
75
that is coupled to two protrusion sections
80
. The flat panel sections
75
of the first electrical conductors
65
are positioned along first internal walls
85
of each of the first and second blocks
10
,
20
. The flat panel sections
75
of the second electrical conductors
70
are positioned along second internal walls
90
of each of the first and second blocks
10
,
20
. Thus, the flat panel sections
75
of the first and second electrical conductors
65
,
70
respectively form parts of the indentations
50
of each of the first and second rows of indentations
45
,
60
. The first and second electrical conductors
65
,
70
respectively extend the entire length of the corresponding first and second internal walls
85
,
90
of the blocks
10
,
20
and consequently the pair of indentations
50
of each respective row
45
,
60
are short circuited with one another. When other block components are attached to the first and second blocks
10
,
20
by the insertion of protrusions of the other block components into the indentations
50
, portions of the protrusions of the other block components are tangent to and in contact with the internal walls
85
,
90
.
The two protrusion sections
80
of the first electrical conductor
65
of each block
10
,
20
respectively extend into the two protrusions
30
of the second row
40
of protrusions on that block, while the two protrusion sections
80
of the second electrical conductor
70
of each block respectively extend into the two protrusions
30
of the first row
25
of protrusions on that block. As shown, segments
95
of the outer cylindrical surfaces of each of the protrusions
30
that are outward facing towards the planes formed by the first and second internal walls
85
,
90
are missing. Consequently, portions of the protrusion sections
80
of the first and second electrical conductors
65
and
70
are exposed at each of the protrusions
30
.
The cable
15
internally includes first and second wires
100
,
105
. The first wire
100
is coupled between the first electrical conductors
65
of the first and second blocks
10
,
20
while the second wire
105
is coupled between the second electrical conductors
70
of the first and second blocks. Consequently, the component
5
is configured to allow a voltage differential to be applied at one of the blocks (e.g., at the first block
10
) across the first and second conductors
65
,
70
of that block, such that the voltage differential is then provided at the other of the blocks (e.g., at the second block
20
) across its first and second conductors.
The component
5
of
FIGS. 1 and 2
provides certain desirable features. In particular, electrical signals/voltages can be applied and delivered at the indentations/protrusions of a block, such that electrical connections can be established between two blocks simply by assembling the blocks in the standard manner. Additionally, the design successfully enables the transmission of a voltage differential over a distance.
Nevertheless, the design of the component
5
limits its usefulness. To begin, the component
5
still employs the cable
15
, which is aesthetically inharmonious with the blocks
10
,
20
, and which may become dislodged from the blocks
10
,
20
over time. In particular, the interfaces between the cable
15
and the two blocks
10
,
20
can constitute a structural weak points of the component.
Further, the manner in which the first and second electrical conductors
65
,
70
are constructed and positioned in relation to t

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