U.S. patent application number 11/622533 was filed with the patent office on 2007-08-02 for toy blocks.
Invention is credited to Kwangil Kim.
Application Number | 20070178800 11/622533 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38256476 |
Filed Date | 2007-08-02 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070178800 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kim; Kwangil |
August 2, 2007 |
TOY BLOCKS
Abstract
The present invention generally relates to toy blocks, and more
specifically, to toy blocks into which other blocks can be easily
inserted on sides of each configured block. The present invention
suggests toy blocks including hexahedral blocks where convex
projections are formed on at least one side while concave grooves
inserted into the convex projections are formed on the remaining
side.
Inventors: |
Kim; Kwangil; (Seoul,
KR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
PEPPER HAMILTON LLP
ONE MELLON CENTER, 50TH FLOOR
500 GRANT STREET
PITTSBURGH
PA
15219
US
|
Family ID: |
38256476 |
Appl. No.: |
11/622533 |
Filed: |
January 12, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
446/124 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63H 33/084 20130101;
A63H 33/086 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
446/124 |
International
Class: |
A63H 33/08 20060101
A63H033/08 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jan 16, 2006 |
KR |
10-2006-0004426 |
Claims
1. Toy blocks including a hexahedral block, comprising: convex
projections formed on at least one side; and concave grooves
configured to be inserted into convex projections on all of the
remaining sides through an interference-fit method.
2. The toy blocks of claim 1, wherein piercing grooves, which
pierce through middle parts of one side that constitutes the
hexahedral block and an opposite side opposing the one side, are
further comprised.
3. The toy blocks of claim 1, wherein 4 convex projections are
disposed on sides where the convex projections are formed.
4. The toy blocks of claim 2, wherein 4 convex projections are
disposed on sides where the convex projections are formed, and 4
concave grooves are disposed on each side where the concave grooves
are formed.
5. The toy blocks of claim 4, wherein concave spaces are made among
neighboring convex projections.
6. The toy blocks of claim 1 or 2, wherein the convex projections
are equipped with vertical grooves passing through central parts,
so that upper sides of the convex projections are divided into more
than two parts.
7. The toy blocks of claim 2, wherein the convex projections are
equipped with vertical grooves passing through central parts, so
that upper sides of the convex projections are divided into more
than two parts.
8. The toy blocks of claim 1, wherein a connection piece equipped
with insertion projections inserted into the piercing grooves on
both ends, as forming a flat and long plate shape, is further
comprised.
9. Toy blocks including a cylindrical block comprising a
plane-shaped upper side, a bottom side, and sides, comprising:
convex projections formed on the upper side; concave grooves
configured to be inserted into convex projections on the bottom
side through an interference-fit method; and vertical piercing
grooves piercing through the middle of the upper side and the
bottom side, first horizontal piercing grooves piercing through
central parts of the sides, and second horizontal piercing grooves
piercing through the central parts of the sides as being vertical
to the first horizontal piercing grooves.
10. The toy blocks of claim 9, wherein a connection piece equipped
with insertion projections inserted into the piercing grooves on
both ends, as forming a flat and long plate shape, is further
comprised.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This Application claims priority to KR 10-2006-0004426 filed
Jan. 16, 2006, the contents of which are incorporated herein by
reference.
[0002] C.-E. Not Applicable
BACKGROUND
[0003] The present invention generally relates to toy blocks, and
more specifically, to toy blocks equipped with concave grooves
interference-fitted to convex projections on the rest of sides
except one side where the convex projections are formed.
[0004] A LEGO product is a representative example of toy blocks. In
case of the LEGO product, convex projections are formed on the top
while concave grooves interference-fitted to the convex projections
are formed on the bottom and the rest of sides are in flat shape.
Thus, it is easy to pile up such "LEGO" blocks to the top from the
bottom, but it is hard to make shapes which can be extended
sideways.
BRIEF SUMMARY
[0005] It is therefore an object of the present invention to
provide toy blocks capable of inserting other configured blocks
from sides of each configured block.
[0006] To accomplish the above object, the toy blocks including
hexahedral blocks comprise convex projections formed on at least
one side, and concave grooves inserted into the convex projections
on all of the remaining sides through an interference-fit
method.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a hexahedral block of one
embodiment in accordance with the present invention;
[0008] FIG. 2 is a diagram for viewing the hexahedral block of FIG.
1 in various directions, (a) illustrates a plane figure, (b)
illustrates a front view and a rear view, (c) illustrates a left
side view and a right side view, and (d) illustrates a bottom
view;
[0009] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a cylindrical block of one
embodiment in accordance with the present invention;
[0010] FIG. 4 is a diagram for viewing the cylindrical block of
FIG. 3 in various directions, (a) illustrates a plane figure, (b)
illustrates a front view and a rear view, (c) illustrates a left
side view and a right side view, and (d) illustrates a bottom
view;
[0011] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a connection piece connected
to piercing grooves of the hexahedral block and the cylindrical
block of the present invention;
[0012] FIG. 6 is a cut sectional view of A-A' of the hexahedral
block which is the one embodiment of the present invention
suggested in FIG. 1;
[0013] FIG. 7 is a cut sectional view of B-B' of the hexahedral
block which is the one embodiment of the present invention
suggested in FIG. 1;
[0014] FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a state that the
connection piece is inserted into the hexahedral block; and
[0015] FIG. 9 is a cut sectional view of C-C' direction in the
perspective view of FIG. 8.
[0016] Brief Description of important referenced numbers:
TABLE-US-00001 10 convex projections 11 concave grooves 12 concave
spaces 15 piercing grooves 16 vertial piercing grooves 17
horizontal piercing grooves 21 insertion grooves 22 inter-spaces 23
chamfers
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0017] The present invention will now be described more fully
hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which
preferred embodiments of the invention are shown.
[0018] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a hexahedral block of one
embodiment in accordance with the present invention. FIG. 2 is a
diagram for viewing the hexahedral block of FIG. 1 in various
directions, (a) illustrates a plane figure, (b) illustrates a front
view and a rear view, (c) illustrates a left side view and a right
side view, and (d) illustrates a bottom view.
[0019] Like shown in FIG. 1 and FIG.2, convex projections (10) are
formed on an upper side of the hexahedral block, and concave
grooves (11) into which the convex projections (10) are inserted
are formed on the remaining sides. Though the convex projections
(10) are formed on the upper side only while the concave grooves
(11) are formed on the remaining sides in an embodiment of the
drawing, it is only one embodiment. So, it is also possible to form
the convex projections (10) on more than two sides and to form the
concave grooves (11) on the remaining sides when necessary.
[0020] In central parts of each side, piercing grooves (15)
piercing up to central parts of opposite sides are formed.
[0021] It can be confirmed that starting positions and ending
positions of the piercing grooves (15) start and end by being
further inserted into the inside than positions of planes which
constitute each side.
[0022] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a cylindrical block of one
embodiment in accordance with the present invention. FIG. 4 is a
diagram for viewing the cylindrical block of FIG. 3 in various
directions, (a) illustrates a plane figure, (b) illustrates a front
view and a rear view, (c) is a left side view and a right side
view, and (d) illustrates a bottom view.
[0023] Like shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, convex projections (10) are
formed on an upper side of the cylindrical block, and concave
grooves (11) into which the convex projections (10) are inserted
through an interference-fit method are formed on a bottom side
which is an opposite side. In central parts of the upper side,
vertical piercing grooves (16) piercing up to central parts of the
bottom side are formed. It can be confirmed that starting and
ending positions of the vertical piercing grooves (16) start and
end by being further inserted into the inside than positions of
planes which constitute each side. Also, horizontal piercing
grooves (17) piercing the central parts are formed on circular
sides in mutually right-angled direction, and starting and ending
positions of the horizontal piercing grooves (17) also start and
end by being slightly inserted into the inside from each side.
Furthermore, empty spaces (12) which are empty up to areas that
form other horizontal or vertical piercing grooves (17,16) are made
as right-angled directional internal areas on the basis of the
vertical or horizontal piercing grooves (16,17).
[0024] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a connection piece connected
to piercing grooves of a hexahedral block and a cylindrical block
of the present invention. It is shown that insertion projections
(21) inserted into the piercing grooves (15,16,17) of the
hexahedral block and the cylindrical block and chamfer shapes (23)
are formed in both sections of the connection piece by leaving
inter-spaces (22). The chamfer shapes (23) are formed at 45 degrees
approximately or at less than 45 degrees. When the insertion
projections (21) are inserted into the piercing grooves (15,16,17)
of the hexahedral block and the cylindrical block, the inter-spaces
(22) are inserted into partition walls which constitute the
piercing grooves (15,16,17), and the chamfer shapes (23) are
inserted into the empty spaces (12) formed around the piercing
grooves (15,16,17). The reason why chamfers are formed at 45
degrees or at less than 45 degrees will be described by taking an
example of the hexahedral block. In case one connection piece is
inserted into piercing grooves formed on a front side of the
hexahedral block suggested in FIG. 1, if the chamfer shapes are not
formed at 45 degrees or at less than 45 degrees, another connection
piece may collide with a connection piece inserted from a right
side or a left side owing to the connection piece inserted into the
front side when another connection piece is inserted into piercing
grooves formed on a left or right side of the corresponding
hexahedral block. As a result, another connection pierce cannot be
inserted into the piercing grooves. In addition, piercing grooves
(25) are formed in the middle of the connection piece, so that the
piercing grooves (25) can be inserted into the convex projections
(10) of the hexahedral block or the cylindrical block.
[0025] FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 are cut sectional views for more
specifically explaining a configuration of a hexahedral block in
accordance with the present invention. FIG. 6 is a cut sectional
view of A-A' of the hexahedral block which is one embodiment of the
present invention suggested in FIG. 1, and FIG. 7 is a cut
sectional view of B-B' of the hexahedral block which is one
embodiment of the present invention suggested in FIG. 1. On the
basis of piercing grooves (15), right-angled directional internal
areas are made as empty spaces (12) which are empty up to areas
that form other piercing grooves (15). In other words, the concave
spaces (12) which are concavely dug are disposed among neighboring
convex projections (10) to easily insert other configured
connection pieces.
[0026] Besides, the convex projections (10) are equipped with
vertical grooves (18) piercing through central parts, being formed
in divided cylinder shape. Such a shape can solve a defect that the
convex projections (10) are removed in the end owing to cracks on
bottom sides of the convex projections (10), even though the convex
projections (10) are interference-fitted to the concave grooves
(11) repeatedly.
[0027] The vertical grooves (18) formed on the convex projections
(10) are configured in certain depth, so that the grooves cannot
reach upper sides of the blocks, consequently overall bottom sides
of the convex projections (10) can be adjacent to the upper sides
of the blocks. It is shown that the upper sides of the convex
projections are divided into more than two parts owing to the
vertical grooves passing through the central parts.
[0028] FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 are diagrams for explaining a coupling
relation between a connection piece and a hexahedral block, FIG. 8
is a perspective view showing a state that the connection piece is
inserted into the hexahedral block, and FIG. 9 is a cut sectional
view in C-C' direction of the perspective view of FIG. 8.
[0029] Toy blocks of the present invention can be made in various
shapes since the toy blocks can be easily inserted in right and
left directions as well as up and down directions. Therefore, it is
possible to easily make a complex shape in addition to a simple
shape, thereby giving considerable interest to children while the
children may not be easily bored.
[0030] In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes,
the present invention has been described in what is considered to
represent its preferred embodiment. However, it should be noted
that the invention can be practiced otherwise than as specifically
illustrated and described without departing from its spirit or
scope.
* * * * *