Toy building set and building elements therefor

Details Toy building set and building elements therefor Toy building set and building elements therefor

1996-03-19

1998-08-18

Hafer, Robert A.

Amusement devices: toys

Construction toy

Interfitting elements

446124, 446117, A63H 3308, A63H 3304

Patent

active

057952108

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns a toy building set with building elements which can be built together in a releasable frictional engagement, comprising building elements which have a first type of coupling studs arranged in a two-dimensional modular pattern, and building elements which have at least a second type of coupling stud dimensioned to touch coupling studs of the first type, and moreover building elements for such a toy building set.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Such toy building sets and building elements therefor are available in many different embodiments, wherein the coupling studs of the first type either have a circular or polygonal cross-section and are arranged on a face so as to form a two-dimensional modular pattern. The modular pattern frequently consists of a first type of coupling studs arranged in rows at right angles to each other and equidistantly spaced in the directions of the rows. This spacing is here called the modular measure or modular spacing. The prior art also includes toy building sets wherein coupling studs are arranged in rows forming angles of 60.degree. with each other. Such known building elements are frequently in the form of a right-angled box, two or more building elements being interconnected by means of elements having a second type of coupling means which are complementary to the first type of coupling studs, and which are adapted for interconnection by a releasable frictional engagement. The known coupling means of the second type comprise a tubular coupling stud, which is dimensioned to touch a plurality of coupling studs of the first type. Danish patent 92683 describes such building elements.
SE-C1-226 906 shows a toy building set in which elements have a first type of coupling studs for interconnection with other building elements having a second type of coupling studs. The second type of coupling studs comprise the side walls of the elements and studs of tubular, cruciform and other shapes for engaging the studs of the first type.
GB-A-2 118 447 shows a toy building set with building elements having coupling studs for interconnection with other elements by receiving the studs in a cavity. One cavity can receive either one large stud or four small studs on another building element.


SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

There is a wish for a toy building set in which the coupling force between interconnected building elements is greater than in the known toy building sets. Coupling force is here taken to mean the frictional force between the respective coupling studs of two interconnected building elements, by means of which the building elements are retained with respect to each other, and which is to be overcome when the building elements are interconnected and separated. Of course, an increased coupling force may be obtained with larger building elements, the number of the coupling studs and thus their contact area being correspondingly increased. However, this solution takes up much space and is not always expedient, because such a new toy building set should simultaneously be compatible with the known toy building sets, so that any building element from the new toy building set must be capable of being connected with any building element from the known toy building sets to achieve the known coupling force. This wish is fulfilled with a toy building set as defined in claim 1 and with toy building elements as defined in claims 11 and 15, respectively.
The toy building set of claim 1 thus comprises building elements having four different types of coupling studs, the first and second types of which being present on known building elements, while the third and fourth types of coupling studs are new.
Claims 11 and 15 define independent building elements according to the invention. When a building element according to claim 11 is connected with a building element according to claim 15, the desired increased coupling force is achieved. Simultaneously, each of these building elements is fully compatible with the known buil

REFERENCES:
patent: 3442044 (1969-05-01), Quercetti
patent: 4744780 (1988-05-01), Volpe
patent: 5022885 (1991-06-01), Lyman
patent: 5259803 (1993-11-01), Lyman

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