Sets Of Building Blocks Of Different Sizes

Abstract

In a building block set made up of a plurality of blocks of different sizes, the blocks are provided with plug-and-socket connectors. Those blocks which have a relatively small number of such connectors have the latter designed to provide a relatively tight fit, while those blocks which have a relatively large number of the plug-and-socket connectors have the latter designed to provide a looser fit.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to sets of building blocks.

In particular, the invention relates to building block sets made up of blocks of different sizes and having plug-and-socket connectors in the form of plugs situated on one side and sockets situated on the opposite side of the blocks.

There are many known types of building blocks using plug-and-socket connectors, with such blocks being most frequently made of plastic at the present time.

A relatively large number of building blocks of this type use, to provide the interconnection between the blocks, a clamping type of connection resulting from the fact that one part of the connecting structure is elastic so as to be deformable for the purpose of holding the connected parts together with the required force. Such building blocks must be made of a relatively soft plastic which is expensive and which suffers from fatigue and failrue after a given period of use. As a result, the clamping force for the required connection is no longer effective to hold the parts together so that with blocks of this type models or other structures which are built easily fall apart.

There are also known building blocks which have the plug-and-socket connectors arranged with the plug portions on one side and with the plug-receiving sockets on the other side. Thus, each plug portion and its aligned opposed socket portion forms a connector element having a common axis for the plug-and-socket portions. The advantage of this type of construction resides in the fact that the assembling of such blocks in exceedingly simple and can even be carried out by small children. However, the difficulty with this type of construction resides in the fact that the assembly of the blocks is easy or difficult to carry out, depending on the number of plug-and-socket connectors. Blocks which have a relatively small number of such connectors will generally not have the required connection with each other which will hold them reliably together, while blocks which have a relatively large number of these connectors can, perhaps, be assembled by children but cannot be taken apart.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is accordingly a primary object of the present invention to provide a set of building blocks of the referred to general type which will avoid the above mentioned drawbacks.

More particularly, it is an object of the invention to provide a construction where the blocks of the set are of different sizes and have different numbers of plug-and-socket connectors.

An important object of the invention is to provide a construction where even relatively large blocks not only can be assembled connected with other blocks but also can be disassembled or disconnected from other blocks even by relatively small children who cannot exert a substantial force.

Another object of the invention is to provide a set of blocks where small blocks which have a relatively small number of connectors can reliably be connected with other blocks, even relatively large blocks, which have a relatively large number of connectors, while at the same time presenting no difficulty with respect to disassembly of the blocks from each other.

In accordance with the invention, the blocks which have plug portions of the connectors on one side and socket portions of the connectors on an opposite side are designed in such a way that those blocks which have a relatively small number of connectors provide for the small number of connectors a relatively tight fit while those blocks which have a relatively large number of connectors provide a relatively loose fit for the larger number of connectors. In this way, even if a given relatively small block has a relatively small number of connectors, the tight fit provides nevertheless a sufficiently reliably connection even when such a small block is joined to a block of larger size. The blocks are larger size with the larger number of plug-and-socket connectors provide for the latter connectors a looser fit. Thus, the disassembly of a relatively small block from another block to which it is connected is not difficult to carry out because of the relatively small number of connectors. With the larger blocks having a larger number of connectors, even though the fit of the connectors is relatively loose there will nevertheless be the required union between the connected blocks because of the relatively larger number of connectors while at the same time the disassembly of such blocks is not difficult to carry out.

With the building blocks of the invention, any combination of building blocks of different sizes may be put together while reliably achieving the required interconnecting force between the blocks of a given model or other struccture which is built. At the same time, the disassembly of the blocks is never difficult to carry out.

In the case where the bulding blocks are made of a molded plastic, for instance, a plastic which is injection molded, the construction of the mold itself is relatively simple even when different fits are provided for the connectors, simply by way of providing for all of the blocks of the set plug-and-socket connectors of the same construction while at the same time providing for blocks which have a relatively small number of connectors a design for a tight fit while blocks with a larger number of connectors are designed to have a loose fit at the connectors. It becomes necessary, therefore, to provide a predetermined fit for only part of the connectors. This fit can be determined by proper selection of the diameters of the plug portions or socket portions of the connectors.

The relatively loose fit with the larger blocks can, according to a further feature of the invention, be achieved by providing for the plug-and-socket portions a pair of different diameters so that one part of the connectors will have a tight fit while the remainder thereof will have a loose fit. Where those connectors are distributed in a plurality of rows with gaps therebetween, the connectors of loose and tight fit alternate with each other.

A further simplification of the structure for the injection molded type of building block is achieved by providing the plug-and-socket portions of each connector with a stepped construction along the common axis of each plug-and-socket of a given connector. In this way the outer part of each connector serves only as a guide while the inner part provides the preselected fit. The axial length or height of the part of the connector which provides the preselected fit can be selected in such a way as to achieve either a loose fit or a tight fit.

In spite of these different designs of the connectors and the different fits achieved thereby, it is nevertheless possible to provide blocks in the form of hollow bodies having an almost uniform, unchanging wall thickness. The design of the building blocks is carried out in such a way that the building block is in the form of a hollow body with the plug-and-socket connectors forming a plurality of hollow connector bodies which are closed on one side where the plug portions are located while being open at that side where the socket portions are located, the socket portions extending inwardly from a closed side of the block while the plug portions extend from the open side of the block with side walls of the block forming parts of the connectors.

The particular fits for the connectors which are achieved in the above manner for the blocks of different sizes are capable of being maintained over a long period of time by making the blocks from a hard plastic which may be injection molded, such plastic being, for example, polystyrene.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The invention illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing which forms part of this application and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective illustration of a block of the invention having only a single plug-and-socket connector;

FIG. 2 shows, in a perspective view, a block of the invention having a pair of connectors;

FIG. 3 shows, in a perspective illustration, a block of the invention having eight connectors;

FIG. 4 is a perspective illustration of a block in the form of a plate having 13 rows of connectors distributed along the longer dimension of the block with the connectors of each row separated by nine gaps therebetween;

FIG. 5 is a transverse sectional elevation of a block of the invention where the section is taken through the connectors; and

FIG. 6 is a transverse sectional elevation of the block of FIG. 5 where the section is taken between connectors.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A block A illustrated in FIG. 1 forms the smallest component of the set of building blocks. The building block A shown in FIG. 1 is a cubic configuration and has square side surfaces. The plug-and-socket connector of the block A includes a central socket 2a extending, as shown, into the block A from the top surface thereof, and situated centrally with respect to this top surface, while a plug portion 1a of the connector extends from the bottom surface of the block A and is coaxial with the socket portion 2a, so that the plug portion 1a is also centrally situated at the surface of the block from which it extends. The shading provided for the plug-and-socket portions 1a and 2a is used to indicate that the diameters chosen for the plug-and-socket connector of FIG. 1 are of a size which will provide a relatively tight fit with other blocks with which the block A is connected. The tight fit is achieved in a simple manner by providing for the socket portion 2a a diameter which is smaller than the normal diameter and for the diameter of the plug portion 1a a diameter which is greater than the normal diameter.

With a block B shown in FIG. 2, there are a pair of plug-and-socket connectors, each being composed of a plug portion 1a and a socket portion 2a coaxial therewith and situated at the face of the block opposed to the plug portions. In this case also, because of the relatively small number of connectors, a tight fit is provided as indicated by the shaded illustration of the connectors. Where blocks have less than three connectors, such tight fits will be provided in accordance with the invention.

Referring to FIG. 3, a block C illustrated therein has eight connectors made up of the several plug portions 1b extending from the bottom face of the clock and the socket portions 2a and 2b extending into the block from the top surface thereof, as viewed in FIG. 3. The shaded sockets 2a have the tight fit while the other sockets 2b have a relatively loose fit. It is therefore easy to see that when blocks A and B are connected to the block C there will always be a good reliable connection between the blocks even when the individual plug portion 1a of the block A is received in a socket portion 2b of the block C. Moreover, disassembly of a block A from the block C is not difficult to carry out even in the case where the plug portion 1a of the block A is in a socket portion 2a of the block C. These relationships are similar for a connection between the block B and the block C inasmuch as the connection remains limited to a pair of connectors of which only one will have a tight fit.

Thus, it will be seen from FIG. 3 that the tight and loose fitting sockets alternate with each other so that irrespective of how the block B is joined to the block C there will only be one tight fit, with the other fit of the other connector being loose. If a pair of blocks C are connected to each other, thereby providing the block with plug portions 1b of the same diameter, which is the normal diameter, only half of the plug portions will have tight fits.

The block of FIG. 4 is in the form of a plate D having several rows of connectors with gaps therebetween. With this construction, by a different, preferably uniform, distribution of the socket portions 2a which have the tight fit, the number of connectors which will have a tight fit can be reduced so that even relatively large plates which form the building blocks can be easily disassembled from each other while being reliably connected together. Even relatively small blocks with only one or two connectors can be reliably connected with a block D in the form of a plate since the plug portion 1a has a diameter greater than the normal diameter. With blocks which have at least four connectors in a row or arranged in a square pattern, there is always one connector socket 2a having a press fit in the distribution shown for the block D of FIG. 4 so that with this one out of four connectors providing a tight fit there will be a reliable connection between blocks of any sizes.

As is apparent from the sectional illustrations of FIGS. 5 and 6, the socket portions of the connectors can be stepped so as to have portions 2c and 2d. The outer portion 2c serves in this case only as a guide for a plug portion of the connector of another block while the inner part 2d of the socket provides the required fit with the plug portion of the other block. It is possible to determine the nature of the fit by selecting a proper height or axial length for the portion 2d of the connector.

It should be noted that the set of blocks of the invention can also be built with connectors having sockets of only one size and having plugs of different sizes, some of which may even be stepped.

In the case where the blocks are in the form of hollow bodies having a uniform wall thickness, the individual connectors are made up of a socket portion and plug portion in the form of a hollow plug closed on one side and having the socket portion 2c, 2d which extends from the closed side 4 while the plug portions are situated at the open side 5 of the block, as illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6. In order to achieve a uniform wall thickness while providing for the hollow connector bodies only a relatively short springy length, the hollow connectors are formed at least in part from the box-shaped outer side walls 3 of the block. As is apparent from FIG. 5, the hollow connectors form over their entire height part of the outer side wall structure 3 of the block.

At a section taken between the connectors, as shown in FIG. 6, only the outer side walls 3 appear in section. This section illustrates that the wall thickness of the block is not greater even at those locations where the connectors are joined with the outer side walls. This feature is of particular importance for the manufacture of the block according to an injection molding method.

Where the block has at least a pair of rows of uniformly distributed connectors, the possibility of assembling the blocks in all directions can be provided. One side of the block carries the plug portions of the connectors while the opposite side is provided with the corresponding socket portions, while each connector is made up of a plug portion and socket portion in the form of a hollow body as shown in the sectional illustration of FIG. 5. The socket portion extends inwardly from the side 4 of the block while the plug portion 1 extends from the opposite side 5 of the block. The wall thickness of the connectors at the interior plug portions 2d is the same as the wall thickness of the outer side walls 3, so that one of the other walls of the block will form part of the connector structure. The capability of uniting the blocks in all directions is assured by providing between a pair of adjoining longitudinal transverse rows of socket portions of the connectors a distance which is twice as great as the wall thickness of the block.

Claims

I claim:

1. A building block set comprising a plurality of blocks of different sizes each having at least one connector for connecting the blocks to each other, said connector including a plug projecting from a block at one of the faces thereof and a socket formed in the block at the opposed face thereof and aligned with said plug, the connectors of those blocks of the set which have less than three connector being formed of one size to provide a relatively tight fit for all of said less than three connectors thereon while the connectors of those blocks which have more than three being formed with some of the aligned plug-and-sockets of the same size to provide a tight fit and some sockets of a larger size than their associated plugs to provide a looser fit for some but not all of the connectors thereof, said connectors on said larger blocks being arranged so that no two connectors of relatively tight fit be adjacent each other.

2. The combination of claim 1 and wherein the fit of the connectors is determined by selection of the diameter of the connectors.

3. The combination of claim 2 and wherein at least some of the blocks have a plurality of rows of connectors with a plurality of spaces therebetween and those connectors of relatively tight fit alternating with those of relatively loose fit.

4. The combination of claim 3 and wherein the plug-and-socket portions of each connector have a common axis along which at least one of said portions is stepped to have an outer guiding region and an inner region providing a preselected fit.

5. The combination of claim 4 and wherein the loose or tight fit is achieved according to the axial length of the connector portion.

6. The combination of claim 5 and wherein each block is in the form of a hollow body having a hollow inner surface forming a socket and exterior surface forming a plug and closing the body on one side, the closed side of each body extending from the hollow opening which forms each socket and said hollow plug-and-socket connectors forming at edge regions of the block at least part of the outer wall of each block.