U.S. patent application number 13/181730 was filed with the patent office on 2012-12-06 for magnetic toy block.
Invention is credited to Kai-Shun MAK.
Application Number | 20120309259 13/181730 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 45547893 |
Filed Date | 2012-12-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120309259 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
MAK; Kai-Shun |
December 6, 2012 |
Magnetic Toy Block
Abstract
A toy block includes a body having external faces. A compartment
is located behind each of the external faces and houses a magnet
located freely within the compartment and adapted to turn upon
magnetic interaction with another magnet external of the body so as
to align attractively therewith. Two such toy blocks can be brought
together face-to-face in any orientation and the magnet of one
block will turn automatically into N-S alignment with a magnet of
the other block so that the blocks attract and connect.
Inventors: |
MAK; Kai-Shun; (Kowloon,
CN) |
Family ID: |
45547893 |
Appl. No.: |
13/181730 |
Filed: |
July 13, 2011 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
446/92 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63H 33/046
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
446/92 |
International
Class: |
A63H 33/04 20060101
A63H033/04 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jun 3, 2011 |
HK |
11105619.7 |
Claims
1. A toy block, comprising: a body having a plurality of external
faces; a compartment located behind one of the external faces; and
a magnet located freely within the compartment and adapted to turn
upon magnetic interaction with another magnet external of the body
so as to align attractively therewith.
2. The toy block of claim 1, wherein the body defines an overall
internal volume and the compartment is smaller than said overall
internal volume.
3. The toy block of claim 2, comprising a plurality of said
compartments, each located behind a respective one of said external
faces, and a plurality of said magnets, each located freely within
a respective one of said compartments.
4. The toy block of claim 3, further comprising an internal frame
supporting or having integrally formed therewith a plurality of
cups, each cup cooperating with the body to define a respective one
of said compartments.
5. The toy block of claim 4, wherein said frame is formed
separately to the body for insertion therein.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to toy blocks which can be
attached to one and other by children to build structures. The
invention more particularly, although not exclusively, relates to
such toy blocks having magnetic attachment means.
[0002] Magnetically connectable toy blocks are known to be formed
of plastics material into which magnets and optionally, pieces of
ferrous metal are embedded. The magnet of one building block must
be aligned with the metallic insert of another for attraction to
occur in order that the blocks mutually connect. On the other hand,
in order for a magnet of one block to be attracted to a magnet of
another block, they must be aligned with correct N-S attractive
polarity. N-N or S-S alignment will result in repulsion. Of course,
if the metallic insert of one block is aligned with a metallic
insert of another block, there will be no attraction. Children
might be frustrated by this requirement to align the blocks
correctly.
[0003] An improved magnetic toy block is provided to overcome or
substantially ameliorate at least one of the above
disadvantages.
SUMMARY
[0004] There is disclosed herein a toy block, comprising:
[0005] a body having a plurality of external faces;
[0006] a compartment located behind one of the external faces;
and
[0007] a magnet located freely within the compartment and adapted
to turn upon magnetic interaction with another magnet external of
the body so as to align attractively therewith.
[0008] Preferably, the body defines an overall internal volume and
the compartment is smaller than said overall internal volume.
[0009] Preferably, the toy block further comprises a plurality of
said compartments, each located behind a respective one of said
external faces, and a plurality of said magnets, each located
freely within a respective one of said compartments.
[0010] Preferably, the toy block further comprises an internal
frame supporting or having integrally formed therewith a plurality
of cups, each cup cooperating with the body to define a respective
one of said compartments.
[0011] Preferably, said frame is formed separately to the body for
insertion therein.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] A preferred form of the present invention will now be
described by way of example with reference to the accompanying
drawings, wherein:
[0013] FIG. 1 is a schematic parts-exploded perspective
illustration of a toy block;
[0014] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional elevation of the
assembled toy block; and
[0015] FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional elevation of a pair of
toy blocks mutually attached by a magnetic attraction.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0016] In the accompanying drawings there is depicted schematically
a toy block 10 comprising a plastics body made up of six square
walls 11 each having an external face and one of which is formed
separately as an attachable panel which is depicted at the bottom
of FIG. 1. This panel might be ultrasonically welded or otherwise
affixed to close the cube.
[0017] On the inside face of each wall 11 is a central landing 15
to be described.
[0018] An internal frame 14 has six outwardly facing cups 12. These
are either moulded integrally with the frame 14 or attached
thereto. When the frame 14 is inserted into the body 10, each cup
12 abuts or comes into close proximity with the inside face of each
wall 11 to define a compartment 16. There are six such
compartments--one of which comprises the interface of a cup with
the separately formed panel.
[0019] A small magnetic disk 13 is located within each compartment
16. The magnets 13 are dimensioned to reside within the
compartments 16 so that they can flip upside-down and turn
freely.
[0020] When two of the blocks 10 are brought into mutually adjacent
proximity as illustrated in FIG. 3, the adjacent magnets interact
with one another and at least one of them will turn into N-S
(North-South) attractive alignment whereupon they will bear against
the respective landing 15 and the blocks will be mutually retained
by magnetic attraction.
[0021] Moreover, the blocks 10 can be connected to one another in
any orientation and the child need not turn the blocks to provide
N-S alignment of the internal magnets.
[0022] It should be appreciated that modifications and alterations
obvious to those skilled in the art are not to be considered as
beyond the scope of the present invention. For example, the
compartments 16 could be formed integrally with the body 10, rather
than providing an internal frame 14.
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