CN110709147A - Building block for elastic toy - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a toy building block made of a soft material and connectable to at least one further building block. In addition, a strong building block system made of elastically soft material is disclosed, which enables the blocks to be removably connected to each other, allowing to assemble structures of sizes exceeding the prior art and maintaining the firmness in said structures.

Description

bouncy toy building blocks

technical field

The invention relates to the field of building blocks in children's building sets. In particular, it relates to large building blocks with different configurations and simple processing, wherein the connection is achieved on the basis of a male-female relationship, said large building blocks comprising blocks made of compressible elastic materials which further allow the assembly of a strong structure.

Background technique

Building kits for children are well known in the art. They usually consist of a plurality of blocks with a specific configuration that allows each block to be removably connected to at least one other block to build and create larger size specifications, as claimed in patent US 3,005,282 That way, the patent describes a block having several configurations of hollows, such as square, rectangular or other shapes, made of hard plastic and configured with a hollow or two that fit into another block or several cylindrical protrusions of the hollows of adjacent building blocks.

In this regard, it is known in the art to allow cascading and continuous assembly of building blocks, the separation distance between each of said cylindrical protrusions being a multiple of a distance corresponding to the width and/or length of said building blocks. In this regard, patent IL121303 claims a toy building block made of semi-rigid plastic material and connectable to at least one further building block, wherein the inventors started to consider the use of non-rigid materials for the manufacture of toy building blocks, However, the building blocks disclosed in the invention include multiple irregular shapes and special cuts, the manufacture of which requires complex processes or specialized machinery.

It is common in the art that each building block has at least one male element and at least one female element, whereby one or more male elements of each building block are inserted into the female elements of at least one other building block, and so on. Typically, in the art, the male-female relationship is based on circular elements having a cylindrical shape primarily on the male element, and female elements having a tubular shape or other configuration. In this respect, it is possible to rotate on the axis of the circumference of each male and female element to increase the range of building configurations due to the presence of a male-female relationship based on circular elements. Thus, it is possible to build straight and angled structures.

It is important to note that the building blocks of the prior art are sized so that children can manipulate them with their fingers, that is, where the size of each block is no larger than the size of a normal child's fist. In this regard, the use of these materials of this size allows only relatively small structures or specifications to be created, due to the number of parts required, the complexity and the fact that the structure loses stability as the building blocks reach a certain height. However, it is not possible to simply scale up the size of the blocks that are already available in the art because the child may not have sufficient force to connect or separate the blocks. In this regard, it has been determined that children want to build specifications that exceed the size already available in the art, ie, specifications or structures that exceed their height, such as castles, walls or houses, but still provide stability in the structure to be built, for Safety and ease of use for children.

Also, the use of rigid or semi-rigid materials is known in the art, such as Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) plastic or equivalent, where, due to the properties of these materials, the male-female relationship must be precise , often making it very difficult to separate the connected blocks with a child's force, or conversely, making the connections weaker and the structure prone to collapse. In addition, the use of hard materials may pose a risk to children because the building blocks include blunt edges or corners that can easily hurt people, and where the type of injury due to impact or splitting varies depending on the size of the toy building block.

Therefore, it would be desirable to obtain a set of building blocks whose design is oriented towards the use of soft materials that can be impacted or struck by a user such as a child without harming the user, which further allows for building Strong structures that exceed the average size used in the art. Likewise, it would be desirable to create a set of building blocks that would allow children to assemble and dismantle structures larger than the average size already available in the art without the assistance of an adult, that is, where the force required to attach or detach is Matched with the power of an ordinary child.

Thus, allowing the blocks or moulds for processing them involves a simple design without arbitrary shapes or curves or parts that are difficult to design and/or manufacture.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to toy building blocks, wherein the blocks comprise one or more shapes, thereby defining groups of blocks, wherein all shapes can be matched to each other such that groups of blocks can be connected to each other, that is, one of the blocks can fit It can be removably connected to at least one additional building block, thereby allowing modular construction of three-dimensional structures, while maintaining the final shape of the individual building blocks without arbitrary components that make their manufacture more complex. Building blocks are individual pieces of structure or size that can be removably connected to form different configurations. The present invention may include methods, systems, apparatus and/or apparatus.

In one embodiment of the present invention, each building block consists of a rectangular parallelepiped comprising on one face or on the upper face at least one protrusion composed of protrusions distributed in form from the center of the face protrudes outwards, thereby defining a male element, and includes a recess or hollow on its bottom or opposite sides, thereby defining a female element, the female element having a shape, location and size that is identical to the shape, location and size of the projections A direct relationship such that at least one protrusion of a block can fit into a hollow of another block, thereby defining a removable male-female connection. In this regard, the design of the blocks disclosed in the present invention allows adjustment of the force required to perform the connection and/or removal. In one embodiment of the invention, the protrusions are hollow to allow greater elastic deformation of the protrusions due to compression. In one embodiment of the invention, the protrusions are solid. In one embodiment of the invention, the protrusion is cylindrical. In one embodiment of the invention, the height of the protrusion is approximately equal to or greater than half the height of the block, thereby allowing a greater amount of area of the block's protrusion surface to be connected to another block at which it has been removably attached The inner walls of the hollows are in contact to allow the continuous connection of the building blocks to remain secure.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the width of each cuboid is greater than 10 cm, the length is greater than 20 cm, and the height is greater than 15 cm. In a specific embodiment, the cuboid has a length of 25 cm.

In one embodiment of the invention, each building block set is made of at least one soft material with elastic properties that absorbs shocks, thereby reducing the risk of injuring the user by some direct cracking. In this regard, a material that requires between 0 and 12 psi (pounds per square inch) to compress the material by 25% and returns to its original shape within a period of time after the application of pressure is stopped is considered "soft" . In a preferred embodiment, a pressure of from 3 psi to 5 psi is used to compress 25% of the material. Thus, the risk of injury is reduced and support is maintained in the structure formed when several building blocks are erected vertically, said building blocks comprising a material density that also provides stability for said assembly.

In one embodiment of the invention, the material used to make the building block set is selected from the following list: ethylene vinyl acetate (foam construction), lightweight polyurethane or polyurethane foam, polyethylene or polyethylene foam, and/or polystyrene Vinyl or polystyrene foam, where the material is considered soft. In one embodiment of the present invention, a foamy and polyurethane foam is used.

In one embodiment of the present invention, one building block group is made of one material, another building block group is made of another material, and so on.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a building block system is disclosed, wherein the building blocks are divided into building block groups of different materials, wherein each building block in the building block group has the same shape.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a building block system is disclosed, wherein the building blocks are divided into building block groups of different materials, wherein each building block group has a different shape.

In one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a building block system wherein the connections between the building blocks are performed through a male-female element relationship, wherein the relationship is imprecise. In one embodiment of the invention, the percentage of male elements relative to the female elements is small, thereby defining free spaces for easy assembly. In another embodiment of the invention, the percentage of the male element relative to the female element is greater, thereby defining a controlled and relative compression of the percentage when the male portion is inserted into the female portion. In one embodiment of the invention, a plurality of holes defined by patterns are included around the female portion (hollow portion), wherein the holes relieve the application of the female element around the male element when the male element is inserted pressure, thereby defining relief bores. The shape, depth, number and location of the relief holes can vary and will depend on the type of material, the coefficient of friction of the material, the type of male-female relationship and the type of force required to attach or remove the blocks.

In one embodiment of the invention, the surface of each building block includes a material that changes the coefficient of friction, and thus the attaching and/or dismounting force of each building block with or without a precise male-female relationship.

Description of drawings

Figure 1 shows an embodiment of the invention in three different views corresponding to isometric, front and bottom views.

FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view AA of the building block of FIG. 1 .

Figure 3 shows an embodiment of the present invention in which all sizes of the building blocks are made with respect to multiples of the length L.

Figure 4 illustrates an embodiment of the present invention in front and cross-sectional views including a support chamfer around the base of each protrusion or pivot.

Figure 5 illustrates an embodiment of the present invention in front and cross-sectional views including support chamfers around the base of each protrusion or pivot, and/or including release holes around each female element.

Figure 6 shows the building block of Figure 5 with some of the stress experienced by the building block seen during use.

Figure 7 shows an isometric bottom view of an embodiment of the present invention wherein the relief hole has a non-circular shape.

Figure 8 shows an illustrative example of the assembly of three building blocks.

Detailed ways

The following description is given to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the embodiments, and to provide specific applications and their requirements in context.

Several modifications to the disclosed embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Thus, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown, but the present invention is to be accorded a broader scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein.

The invention relates to a toy building block, which is made of elastic soft material and can be connected to at least one other building block with the same characteristics, and is characterized in that the toy building block comprises: a plurality of protrusions extending from at least one surface, and undercut recesses disposed on a surface opposite the at least one surface, at least some of the recesses being substantially aligned with the protrusions, the protrusions having or Instead of having a hollow cylindrical shape and constituting a male connection means, the undercut recesses constitute a female connection means at least partially corresponding to the protrusions.

The examples shown herein use blocks with two male elements and two female elements. However, those skilled in the art will understand that the number of male and female elements of each building block may vary without affecting the subject matter of the present invention, wherein the building blocks are scaled to accommodate the number of male and female elements. In addition, the illustrated example is made of a rectangular parallelepiped, however, those skilled in the art will understand that the configuration may vary without affecting the subject matter of the present invention.

Figure 1 shows an embodiment of the invention in several views (isometric, front and bottom), wherein a building block 10 is shown with two protrusions, called male elements 11, said The male elements 11 are centrally and uniformly distributed on one face of the building block 10; and two tubular holes corresponding to the female elements 12, which are centrally and uniformly distributed on the an opposite side. Those skilled in the art will understand that the number of male and female elements can vary without affecting the subject matter of the present invention, so they can be building blocks with at least one male element 11 and at least one female element 12 . Thus, a building block with length L, width M, height H is shown. In one embodiment of the present invention, the width M and the height H correspond to multiples of the length L. In a specific embodiment, the width M corresponds to L/2.

FIG. 2 shows the AA section in FIG. 1 . Thus, a male element with height A and diameter D is shown. In this regard, a female element with depth P and diameter Q is shown. In one embodiment of the invention, the diameter D is equal to the diameter Q.

In another embodiment of the invention, the diameter D is not equal to the diameter Q. In a specific embodiment, the diameter D is greater than the diameter Q. In this regard, the height A is equal to or less than the depth P. In one embodiment of the present invention, height A and depth P are equal to or greater than half of height H. In one embodiment of the invention, the diameter D is a multiple of the length L. In another embodiment of the invention, the diameter Q is a multiple of the length L.

In this case, taking advantage of the properties of the material used (ie soft material), and in order to ensure that the structure formed by the removable connection of the building blocks 10 is strong, there is a deviation between the diameter Q and the diameter D, whereby An imprecise relationship or pressure relationship between the elements is defined, wherein elastic deformation in at least one of the male element and/or the female element produces a connecting force in the male-female relationship. In this respect, the deviation is greater than 1 mm. In a specific embodiment, the deviation is 2mm.

The spacing distance X between the respective centers of the male elements 11 corresponds to the spacing distance between the female elements 12 . In addition, in an embodiment of the present invention, the distance X is a multiple of the length L. In a specific embodiment, the distance X is equal to L/2.

FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of the present invention in which the configuration and size of the building blocks are relative to the length L. FIG.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the length L corresponding to the embodiment of FIG. 1 or the embodiment of FIG. 3 is greater than 20 cm. In a specific embodiment, the length L is equal to 25 cm. Thus, the length is between the mechanical properties of the material chosen for a soft elastic material that requires about 3 psi to 5 psi of pressure to compress it by 25% and return to its original shape after the pressure is released The relationship defines a set of building blocks that can be assembled to form a strong structure and pose minimal risk to one or more users.

FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of the invention in which the building block 10 includes a chamfer 20 . Once the multi-building block structure of the present invention has been formed, the male element 11 is subject to bending due to the same structure and external force. The base of each male element 11 is in particular a critical point. Therefore, in order to increase the service life of each building block, in the described embodiment of the present invention, a chamfer around the base of each male element 11 is included. Figure 4 shows a chamfer having a straight and 45° shape, however, those skilled in the art will understand that the shape, angle and depth of the chamfer can vary without affecting the subject matter of the present invention.

In addition, those skilled in the art should understand that the chamfered shape may be curved or irregular without affecting the subject matter of the present invention.

Figure 5 shows an embodiment of the invention in cross-section and bottom view including one or more relief holes 5 surrounding the female element 12, depending on the size, number, shape and location of the relief holes, when the male element and/or The relief holes provide controlled elastic deformation or controlled pressure on the male and/or female elements when the female elements are inserted in an imprecise male-female relationship to each other. In this regard, the use of release holes enables each male element to be inserted into and removed from the female element when the male-female relationship includes a greater width of the male portion than the width of the female portion. Thus, when attempting to insert the male element into the female element, due to various factors, including friction, a pressure is created that increases as it continues to be inserted. In this regard, it has been established that some children do not have sufficient force to attach or remove blocks when the male-mother relationship is imprecise. Thus, the release holes 5 enable removably connecting the building blocks by allowing a strong structure to assemble a plurality of connected building blocks.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the release hole has a conic shape in cross-sectional view. Therefore, the release pressure generated by the holes varies according to the depth of insertion of each male element.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the number, configuration, depth, shape and/or size of the release holes may vary without affecting the subject matter of the present invention.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a layer of friction reducing slip material is used on the surface of either of each male element and/or each female element to enable the building blocks to be attached and detached from each other.

Figure 6 shows the building blocks of an embodiment of the present invention in a cross-sectional view depicting the stress experienced by each building block during use. Thus, the force F exerted by the cross-section at one point of the building block is absorbed to elastically deform said building block without affecting other points. The deformation of each block will depend on the applied force F and the material from which it is made. In this respect, the impact defined by the force F applied over a short period of time is likewise absorbed by the material of the building block.

In addition, Figure 6 shows the stresses experienced by the male and female elements, especially when there is an imprecise releasable connection and where there is elastic deformation in at least one of said elements. In this regard, it is shown how the relief holes allow a portion of the material surrounding the female element to be freely compressed and/or flexed, thereby controlling and depending on the shape, number and size of the relief hole or holes in the male element The connection stress is generated between the parent element and the parent element. Thus, a child-friendly force for connecting or dismantling the building blocks by the user is reflected. In this regard, the use of soft materials in an imprecise male-female relationship allows for releasable connection of the building blocks in order to relieve compression and/or bending in different parts of the building blocks for elastic deformation.

Figure 7 shows an embodiment of the invention wherein the release holes have a shape other than circular.

Figure 8 shows an example of the assembly of a building block 10 of an embodiment of the present invention, wherein pressure is applied to the building blocks to be connected to maintain the interconnection.

The foregoing description of several embodiments has been presented for purposes of illustration and description only. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the shapes disclosed. Accordingly, many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Furthermore, the foregoing disclosure is not intended to limit the present invention.

Claims (14)

1. A building block, wherein the building block has a rectangular parallelepiped shape including a length, a width and a height, and the building block is removably connectable to at least one other building block based on a male-female connection, the building block comprising: at least one male connecting element, the position of the at least one male connecting element on one face of the building block varies according to the value of the length of the building block; and at least one female connecting element, the position of said at least one female connecting element on an opposing face of said building block depends on said position of said male connecting element; Wherein, the building blocks are made of elastic soft material, wherein the male-female relationship is imprecise. 2. The building block of claim 1, wherein the width of the at least one female connection element is smaller than the width of the at least one male connection element. 3. The building block of claim 2, wherein the width of the at least one female connection element is at least 1 mm smaller than the width of the at least one male connection element. 4. The building block of claim 1, wherein the building block further comprises at least one release hole surrounding at least one of the at least one female connection element. 5. The building block of claim 1, wherein the length of the building block is greater than 20 centimeters. 6. The building block of claim 1, wherein the material is selected from the list of: ethylene vinyl acetate, polyurethane foam, polyethylene foam, and polystyrene foam. 7. The building block of claim 1, wherein at least one male connecting element includes a chamfer surrounding the base of the male connecting element. 8. The building block of claim 7, wherein the chamfer has a curved shape. 9. The building block of claim 7, wherein the chamfer is at a 45 degree angle relative to the one face of the building block. 10. A set of building blocks comprising a plurality of building blocks made of a first material, wherein each building block is removably connected to at least one other building block by a non-exact male-female element relationship, Therein, the force of the connection and removal depends on the elastic deformation of the first material. 11. The building block set of claim 10, wherein the inexact male-female element relationship is defined based on the female element being smaller than the male element. 12. The building block set of claim 11, wherein the female element is at least 1 mm smaller than the male element. 13. The building block set of claim 10, wherein each block in the set further comprises at least one release hole surrounding the female element. 14. The building block set of claim 10, wherein the first material is selected from the list of: ethylene vinyl acetate, polyurethane foam, polyethylene foam, and polystyrene foam.

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