Amusement devices: toys – Construction toy – Having parts assembled for relative movement
Reexamination Certificate
2001-04-17
2002-10-15
Ricci, John A. (Department: 3712)
Amusement devices: toys
Construction toy
Having parts assembled for relative movement
C446S109000, C446S111000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06464553
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a geometric construction system, more particularly to a geometric construction system including a plurality of flat panels and a plurality of connecting rods for sidewisely interconnecting the panels.
2. Description of the Related Art
As described in the specification of the aforementioned co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/725,781, conventional geometric construction systems are disadvantageous in that the flat panels of the same cannot overlap with each other.
It has since been found that, because each flat panel described in the specification of the co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/725,781 is an integral relative thick piece, a large amount of raw material is required for the production of the flat panels, and the geometric construction system, which is constructed by the flat panels, will be relative heavy.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a geometric construction system that is capable of permitting two adjacent coupled panels to overlap with each other and that is capable of lowering the production cost and reducing the weight of the geometric construction system.
Accordingly, a geometric construction system of this invention comprises: at least two substantially flat panels of equilateral polygonal shape, each of the panels having a frame piece and a pair of cover sheets, the frame piece having an inner face that defines a central opening in the frame piece, and a plurality of side walls with side edges, each of which has two opposite end sections and a basin section that extends between and inwardly relative to the end sections and that has two opposite end faces respectively transverse to the end sections, the inner face being formed with a central flange that extends along the inner face, that projects inwardly into the central opening, and that cooperates with the inner face to define a pair of opposite retaining grooves at two opposite sides of the flange, each of the cover sheets having side edges respectively and fittingly received in a respective one of the retaining grooves so that the pair of the cover sheets are spaced apart at least by a thickness of the flange; and at least a connecting rod having at least two interconnected connecting portions, each of which extends in a longitudinal direction and each of which is complementary to and is received in the basin section of one of the side edges of the side walls of the frame piece of one of the flat panels, each of the connecting portions having two opposite ends respectively pivoted on the end faces of the basin section of said one of the side edges of the side walls of the frame piece of the respective one of the flat panels so as to permit each of the panels to be freely turnable about an axis that extends through the opposite ends of the respective one of the connecting portions of the connecting rod in the longitudinal direction.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4270302 (1981-06-01), Dandia
patent: 5100358 (1992-03-01), Volgger
patent: 5137485 (1992-08-01), Penner
patent: 5472365 (1995-12-01), Engel
patent: 6176757 (2001-01-01), Lin
patent: 6186855 (2001-02-01), Bauer et al.
Ladas & Parry
Ricci John A.
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