U.S. patent application number 13/770530 was filed with the patent office on 2013-08-22 for modular toy system.
The applicant listed for this patent is Addy Soentoro Widjaja. Invention is credited to Addy Soentoro Widjaja.
Application Number | 20130217296 13/770530 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 48982618 |
Filed Date | 2013-08-22 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130217296 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Widjaja; Addy Soentoro |
August 22, 2013 |
MODULAR TOY SYSTEM
Abstract
This educational modular, snap-together toy block system is a
learning tool to imaginatively play and create functional
cityscapes to use as play areas. Small blocks shaped and stylized
to mimic everyday objects within a normal city setting that are
fitted with male connectors can be manipulated and rotated before
being plugged into a grid pattern base/tray. The base/tray female
connections secure the blocks into place and provide a solid,
stable platform for play. Once blocks have been attached to the
base/tray, various transportation toys can be manipulated on its
play surface. When the user requires additional play space,
base/trays can exponentially be added to the current base/tray
using connectors which lock multiple base/trays seamlessly
together.
Inventors: |
Widjaja; Addy Soentoro;
(Palm Bay, FL) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Widjaja; Addy Soentoro |
Palm Bay |
FL |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
48982618 |
Appl. No.: |
13/770530 |
Filed: |
February 19, 2013 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61601130 |
Feb 21, 2012 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
446/124 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63H 33/101 20130101;
A63H 33/10 20130101; A63H 33/42 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
446/124 |
International
Class: |
A63H 33/10 20060101
A63H033/10 |
Claims
1. A modular toy system comprising: a block assembly comprising a
base having a plurality of spaced apart passageways formed
therethrough, a plurality of blocks that are connectable to the
base, at least one transportation member adapted to be positioned
on the plurality of blocks and move along the plurality of blocks
after the plurality of blocks have been connected to the base,
wherein each of the plurality of blocks includes a connector
extending from a bottom portion thereof, wherein the connector
interacts with one of the plurality of passageways to detachably
connect the block to the base, and wherein the plurality of blocks
are arrangeable on the base to form a pattern.
2. A modular toy system according to claim 1 wherein each of the
plurality of blocks includes sets of pluralities of blocks.
3. A modular toy system according to claim 2 wherein the sets of
blocks are selected from the group consisting of a gable top block,
a shed top block, a conical top block, a flat top block, a barrel
top block, a straight recessed block, a convex recessed block, a
concave recessed block, a corner recessed block, a waterway block,
a beach block, a spherical ball block, a top block, a cylindrical
step block, an egg shaped top block, a straight road pattern block,
a T-junction road pattern block, and a cross road pattern
block.
4. A modular toy system according to claim 1 wherein the pattern is
a cityscape.
5. A modular toy system according to claim 1 wherein the pattern is
a beachscape.
6. A modular toy system according to claim 1 wherein the pattern is
a landscape.
7. A modular toy system according to claim 1 wherein the at least
one transportation piece is selected from the group comprising a
car, a truck, and a van.
8. A modular toy system according to claim 1 wherein the block
assembly comprises a plurality of block assemblies and wherein the
bases of the plurality of block assemblies are connectable to one
another; and further comprising a connector member having a first
portion that matingly connects to the base of one of the plurality
of block assemblies and a second portion that matingly connects to
the base of another one of the plurality of block assemblies so as
to join the bases of the block assemblies.
9. A modular toy system according to claim 7 wherein the connector
member has an "I" shape and wherein the end portions of the "I"
shaped connector are adapted to engage notches formed in the base
of each of the plurality of block assemblies.
10. A modular toy system according to claim 1 wherein the connector
extending from the bottom of each of the blocks includes a locking
portion that, when positioned to interact with the passageway in
the base, includes a bottom lip that is positioned adjacent a
bottom portion of the passageway.
11. A modular toy system according to claim 10 wherein the
connector extending from the bottom of each of the blocks is
substantially cylindrical and wherein each of the passageways
formed through the base is substantially circular so that each of
the blocks can be rotationally oriented with respect to one of the
passageways formed in the base.
12. A modular toy system according to claim 1 wherein the
passageways formed in the base are aligned in a substantially
symmetrical configuration.
13. A modular toy system comprising: a plurality of block
assemblies connectable to one another wherein each of the plurality
of block assemblies comprises a base having a plurality of spaced
apart passageways formed therethrough, a plurality of blocks that
are connectable to the base, at least one transportation member
adapted to be positioned on the plurality of blocks and move along
the plurality of blocks after the plurality of blocks have been
connected to the base, wherein each of the plurality of blocks
includes a connector extending from a bottom portion thereof,
wherein the connector interacts with one of the plurality of
passageways to detachably connect the block to the base, wherein
the connector extending from the bottom of each of the blocks
includes a locking portion that, when positioned to interact with
the passageway in the base, includes a bottom lip that is
positioned adjacent a bottom portion of the passageway, and wherein
the plurality of blocks are arrangeable on the base to form a
pattern; and at least one connector member having a first portion
that matingly connects to a portion of the base of one of the
plurality of block assemblies and a second portion that matingly
connects to a portion of the base another of the plurality of block
assemblies so as to join the bases of the block assemblies.
14. A modular toy system according to claim 13 wherein each of the
plurality of blocks includes sets of pluralities of blocks.
15. A modular toy system according to claim 14 wherein the sets of
blocks are selected from the group consisting of a gable top block,
a shed top block, a conical top block, a flat top block, a barrel
top block, a straight recessed block, a convex recessed block, a
concave recessed block, a corner recessed block, a waterway block,
a beach block, a spherical ball block, a top block, a cylindrical
step block, an egg shaped top block, a straight road pattern block,
a T-junction road pattern block, and a cross road pattern
block.
16. A modular toy system according to claim 13 wherein the pattern
is selected from a group consisting of a cityscape, a beachscape
and a landscape.
17. A modular toy system according to claim 13 wherein the at least
one transportation piece is selected from the group comprising a
car, a truck, and a van.
18. A modular toy system according to claim 13 wherein the
connector member has an "I" shape and wherein the end portions of
the "I" shaped connector are adapted to engage notches formed in
the base of each of the plurality of block assemblies.
19. A modular toy system according to claim 13 wherein the
connector extending from the bottom of each of the blocks is
substantially cylindrical and wherein each of the passageways
formed through the base is substantially circular so that each of
the blocks can be rotationally oriented with respect to one of the
passageways formed in the base.
20. A modular toy system according to claim 13 wherein the
passageways formed in the base are aligned in a substantially
symmetrical configuration.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Patent Application Ser. No. 61/601,130 titled Educational Modular
Snap-Together Toy Block System filed on Feb. 21, 2012, the entire
contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] There are many commercially available block systems which
allow for the building of objects. Most common are blocks which
snap together independently of a base. As these toys are utilized
they can be moved and easily dropped and/or lost. Other currently
available systems use bases but do not make the building pieces
snap into place which leaves them vulnerable to the same problem.
These issues can make the toy frustrating for a young child or even
cause them to lose interest in the overall toy and focus on one
small piece of it.
[0003] Themes for other commercially available toy block systems
range from human figures and animals to vehicles, structures and
geographic landscapes. As the level of realistic detail increases,
often so does the target age group for the end user. Similar toy
systems with accurate depictions of cityscapes are usually intended
for children of a higher age range.
[0004] Another problem with current product designs is the life
span for creative stimulation. As a child plays with a toy they
grow in one of two directions. They are either challenged to
continue exploring or they exhaust all options available to them
and grow tired the object. Some current products are intended to be
built to mimic a specific design, i.e. a human face or a specific
landmark or animal. Once the child completes the design, the
creative challenge is exhausted and the child loses interest. In
other products there are accompanying add-ons but they are separate
from the original product and don't cohesively connect with the
child's original creative thought process.
[0005] The above background information is provided to reveal
information believed by the applicant to be of possible relevance
to the present invention. No admission is necessarily intended, nor
should be construed, that any of the preceding information
constitutes prior art against the present invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The present invention is an educational modular,
snap-together toy block system designed to allow a child to build
and re-configure functional play settings out of blocks, stylized
to mimic objects that they may see around them in normal city
setting. The ability to easily manipulate and modify the city
themed structures all while connecting pieces to a secure building
foundation differentiates this product from any other on the
market.
[0007] The present invention addresses the problems of existing
market products in several key areas. This product uses a secure
base structure from which the child can manipulate the layout of a
generic cityscape while keeping the entirety of the parts cohesive
and involved. Once attached, the base can be turned upside down and
pieces will not come apart.
[0008] The present invention also advantageously provides familiar
shapes and natural objects that a child can use to recreate their
own familiar environment or something completely foreign to them.
Other current products which are designed to resemble city settings
are very clearly defined and present a clear "right" versus "wrong"
way of building which is why they are better suited for older, more
mature children. The objects in this product are detailed enough to
be recognizable to a small child but at the same time simple enough
to encourage creativity by not defining a "right" versus "wrong"
way of use. Each piece is a fundamental shape which helps encourage
the development of rudimentary motor skills and thus, is a more
fundamentally educational product than some similar products.
[0009] The system according to embodiments of the present invention
provides the ability to expand with additional bases to create
larger play spaces for the user. As the user gets more involved
with the toy and looks for more of a challenge or expanded creative
space, additional bases can be attached allowing for an
exponentially longer life span. The additional bases will securely
attach to the original base and make a seamless transition for
play.
[0010] The modular toy block system according to embodiments of the
present invention allows the users to create their own cityscapes
with streets, parks, waterways/beaches, railroads, buildings and
houses. Designed for children, this system intends for them to use
their imagination to create their ideal cities or simply emulate
areas they are familiar with. Once built, the city becomes a
functional play area for various forms of transportation toys, such
as cars, buses, trucks, trains, ships and airplanes. Limited only
by imagination, the user easily creates different landscapes by
snapping blocks with a male connector into the grid of female
connector holes on the tray/base. Before being inserted into the
tray/base, each of the blocks can be rotated in a circular fashion
to allow for (4) different directional alignments, depending on the
other surrounding block pattern. While attached to the tray/base,
the pieces are secure enough to hold firmly into the tray/base but
are still easily removed from the tray/base.
[0011] When the user wants to expand the play space, they can
connect the tray/bases to make larger cities. Using the connector
(shown in FIG. 22) multiple tray/bases can be connected creating
seamless expansion of the play area. Once attached, the additional
tray/bases lay flat and are easily added to. This provides the
ability to exponentially grow the original play space. The present
invention contemplates that additional toy block systems can be
included to expand upon the city theme using clearly recognizable
landmarks from actual cities, cultural theme variations, multiple
color schemes and commercial entities, such as theme parks or other
various attractions.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] Referring to the exemplary drawings wherein like elements
are numbered alike in the accompanying Figures:
[0013] FIG. 1 depicts an isometric view where the 2 examples of
block modules are connected by a connector in the middle.
[0014] FIG. 2 depicts an isometric view of the single example of
block module.
[0015] FIG. 3 depicts an exploded assembly view of the single
example of block module of FIG. 2.
[0016] FIG. 4 depicts four orthogonal views and one cross section
view of an example of block module.
[0017] FIG. 5 depicts two orthogonal views and one cross section
view of the tray/base.
[0018] FIGS. 6-20 depict four orthogonal views and one exploded
assembly of individual blocks.
[0019] FIG. 21 depicts two orthogonal views and one isometric view
of the cylindrical connector used on the FIG. 6-20.
[0020] FIG. 22 depicts three orthogonal views and one isometric
view of the connector used on the FIG. 1.
[0021] FIGS. 23-25 depict three orthogonal views and one isometric
view of the sample transportation pieces used on the FIG. 2.
[0022] FIG. 26 depicts three orthogonal views and one exploded view
of the bottom part used on the FIG. 23-25.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0023] An embodiment of the invention, as shown and described by
the various figures and accompanying text, provides a cityscape
snap-together toy block system used for imaginative play.
[0024] FIG. 1 provides an image of (100) two complete samples of
the blocks arranged on a tray/base along with (105) the connector
to attach the tray/bases together.
[0025] FIG. 2 depicts an angled view of all the individual pieces
associated with the standard set (100): (110) the base/tray with
square patterned holes; (130, 140) model 2 and model 3 car
assemblies; (200) gable top block assembly; (205) shed top block
assembly; (210) conical top block assembly; (215) flat top block
assembly; (220) barrel top block assembly; (225, 230, 235, 240)
straight recessed, convex recessed, concave recessed, and corner
recessed block waterways/beaches assemblies; (255) Spherical ball
top block assembly; (260) cylindrical step top block assembly;
(265) egg shaped top block assembly; (270) straight road pattern
feature; (275) T-junction road pattern block assembly; (280) cross
road pattern block assembly.
[0026] FIG. 3 depicts a side view of the aforementioned items:
(100, 110, 130, 140, 200, 205, 210, 215, 220, 225, 230, 235, 240,
255, 260, 265, 270, 275, 280)
[0027] FIG. 4 depicts a top view of (100) a sample of the blocks
arrangement as well as a front view, and views from both sides to
give an idea of scale. Also depicted is (SECTION A-A), a cross
section of the interaction of (115) the cylindrical male connector
from the bottom of a block assembly with (110) the base/tray with
square patterned holes. This is the mechanism for snapping the
block assembly pieces into place discussed in paragraph 0028. FIG.
5 depicts in more detail the (110) base/tray with its (113) square
patterned holes.
[0028] FIG. 21 depicts the attributes of the (115) cylindrical male
connector which is present in FIGS. 6-20. When this piece of the
block assembly is inserted into one of the holes on the base/tray
(113) shown in FIG. 5, the (118) 4 taps with snap features lock
into place between the top chamfer and bottom chamfer of the
tray/base shown in (DETAIL B) of FIG. 5.
[0029] Once all block assemblies have been connected to the
tray/base, the user is free to move many variations of
transportation toys around on the surface. These sample vehicles
are shown in FIGS. 23-26. Each of the cars has a spherical recessed
feature designed to fit a child's finger for easy movement. These
spherical recesses are depicted as (122) on FIG. 23, (132) on FIG.
24 and (142) on FIG. 25.
[0030] The sample transportation vehicles are created using the
same bases for all three styles. Shown in FIG. 26 the vehicles are
made up of a (150) bottom car assembly, (151) bottom car part,
(152) wheels part and (153) cylindrical boss features. On top of
these assemblies is attached each car's identifying component,
(120) Model 1 car assembly, (130) Model 2 car assembly, (140) Model
3 car assembly.
[0031] In order to seamlessly expand the play area the user can
attach the (105) connector from FIG. 22 to the (114) 2 notches for
connector which are located on all 4 sides of the tray/base and
shown in FIG. 5. These are the critical components that give the
ability to add an exponential number of trays/bases to the original
tray/base in order to create more play space.
[0032] Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention
will come to the mind of one skilled in the art having the benefit
of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the
associated drawings. Therefore, it is understood that the invention
is not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, and
that modifications and embodiments are intended to be included
within the scope of the appended claims.
* * * * *