U.S. patent number 3,867,784 [Application Number 05/404,763] was granted by the patent office on 1975-02-25 for toy brick and combination of toy bricks.
Invention is credited to Helmut Lange.
United States Patent |
3,867,784 |
Lange |
February 25, 1975 |
TOY BRICK AND COMBINATION OF TOY BRICKS
Abstract
The toy brick comprises a box-shaped part with side and end
walls and with a top wall while being open at the bottom and having
a plurality of elastically deformable holding means, fins or
connecting elements connected to the outside of the top wall in a
symmetrically paired arrangement for frictional engagement with
some of the walls or some of the holding means of another toy brick
of similar construction.
Inventors: |
Lange; Helmut (2 Schenefeld,
DT) |
Family
ID: |
6633162 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/404,763 |
Filed: |
October 9, 1973 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
Current U.S.
Class: |
446/128 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63H
33/086 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A63H
33/08 (20060101); A63H 33/04 (20060101); A63h
033/08 () |
Field of
Search: |
;46/24,25,26 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Mancene; Louis G.
Assistant Examiner: Cutting; Robert F.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Becker; Walter
Claims
What I claim is:
1. A toy brick comprising a box-shaped part with side and end walls
and with a top wall while being open at the bottom, and a plurality
of elastically deformable holding means connected to the outside of
said top wall in a symmetrically paired arrangement, at least some
of said holding means being fin-shaped, said fin-shaped holding
means being arranged crosswise with regard to each other with a gap
between each two holding means facing each other with their
adjacent ends, one end of two holding means in crosswise
arrangement respectively pointing to two adjacent corners of said
box-shaped part.
2. A toy brick according to claim 1, in which said box-shaped part
has an oblong cross section.
3. A toy brick according to claim 1, in which said box-shaped part
has a square cross section.
4. A combination according to claim 1, in which said box-shaped
part has four corners frictionally engaging four of said holding
means.
5. A toy brick according to claim 1, in which each of said holding
means has a relatively long and narrow cross section.
6. A toy brick according to claim 1, in which the height of each of
said holding means approximately equals one-third of the height of
said box-shaped part.
7. A toy brick according to claim 1, in which each of said holding
means forms a rectilinear element.
8. A toy brick according to claim 1, in which said holding means
are arranged in pairs so that one end of each pair of holding means
faces an adjacent end of a holding means pertaining to the same
pair of holding means, while said adjacent ends define a gap
therebetween.
9. A toy brick according to claim 8, in which said side and end
walls have substantially identical thickness, and in which the
width of said gap approximately equals twice the thickness of one
of said walls.
10. A toy brick according to claim 1, in which the ends of the
fin-shaped holding means are beveled so as to define a V-shaped
contour.
11. A combination according to claim 1, in which said holding means
form groups of four fins with the fins of each group arranged
crosswise and with each two oppositely located fins of each group
aligned with each other and their inner ends spaced from each
other, and in which at least two walls of one box-shaped part are
in frictional engagement with at least three fins of the other
box-shaped part.
12. A toy brick comprising a box-shaped part with side and end
walls and with a top wall while being open at the bottom, and a
plurality of elastically deformable holding means connected to the
outside of said top wall in a symmetrically paired arrangement, at
least some of said holding means being fin-shaped, all of said
holding means being fin-shaped and grouped in groups of four
arranged crosswise with regard to each other while defining a gap
therebetween and between oppositely located fins, the gap between
oppositely located fins being located substantially along a
straight line at least approximately parallel to said side walls.
Description
Toy bricks are known which comprise a hollow base having walls
defining a box having an open bottom and being surmounted by a
configuration which is insertable with a friction fit into the
hollow base of another toy brick.
Such bricks can be fitted together only in a limited number of
combinations. For example, they cannot be fitted together at an
angle of 45.degree.. Moreover, it is impossible to join the
superstructures of two bricks together in a friction fit. Hence the
number of possible constructions is very limited.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a
toy brick that can be used in a multitude of different ways and
that can be frictionally fitted together with other toy bricks in a
great diversity of combinations.
This object and other objects and advantages of the invention will
appear more clearly from the following specification in connection
with the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a toy brick according to the
invention showing the top and two sides of the brick.
FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the same brick of FIG. 1, but
showing the bottom and all four sides of the brick.
FIG. 3 is a side elevation of two toy bricks fitted together.
FIG. 4 is a section on the line IV -- IV of FIG. 3.
FIG. 5 is a side elevation of two toy bricks shown with their
superstructures fitted together.
FIG. 6 is a section taken along the line VI -- VI of FIG. 5.
FIGS. 7a, 7b, 7c respectively illustrate three possible ways of
interfitting toy bricks at an angle of 45.degree..
FIG. 8 is a side elevation of three toy bricks fitted together.
FIG. 9 is a section along the line IX -- IX of FIG. 8.
FIG. 10 is a side elevation of three differently interfitted
bricks.
FIG. 11 is a section along the line XI -- XI of FIG. 10.
FIG. 12 is a view from above of a brick formed with repeatedly
gapped fins.
The toy brick according to the invention is characterized primarily
by a superstructure consisting of a plurality of narrow,
symmetrically paired and elastically flexibly deformable holding
means or connecting elements which can be optionally frictionally
fixed together with the holding means or connecting elements of
another brick as well as with its box walls.
The proposed toy bricks can be joined together at angles of
45.degree.. Moreover, their superstructures also interfit. This
permits attractive variations to be introduced into the
construction of a building from a number of toy bricks.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention the connecting elements
holding means or have the form of fins. These readily yield when
several toy bricks are fitted together and they create a firm
friction joint.
The brick according to the invention substantially consists of a
base 1 surmounted by a superstructure 2. In shape the base 1 is an
oblong box with an open bottom 3. The top 4 of the box carries the
superstructure 2. The hollow interior 5 of the box is surrounded by
side walls 6 and end walls 6a.
The superstructure 2 consists of holding means or fins 7 which
extend diagonally across the top 4 with their ends 8 near the sides
6. Their ends facing the corners of the base 1 may be V-shaped and
thus pointed. Moreover, they may end short of the outside surface
of the wall 6 to leave a space 9 between the ends and the outside
surface at the sides of the brick equal to the thickness of the
wall 6.
Near the center of the top 4 of the base the fins are gapped. The
result is the creation of holding means or fins 7 having four
inside ends 10 which face each other leaving a gap 9a between
them.
When two such bricks are fitted together the box-shaped base 1 can
be fitted over the superstructure 2 so that the ends 8 are received
into the corners 11 of the interior 5 (FIGS. 3, 4). However, one
brick may also be used to connect together two other bricks by
inserting the walls 6 of two bricks between the facing inside ends
10 of the holding means or fins 7 (FIGS. 8, 9). In both cases the
ends 8 make frictional contact with the base 1 on a line which is
as long as the holding means or fins 7 are high. According to the
manner in which the bricks are fitted together, either the corners
11 or the centers of the inside walls 6 will frictionally cooperate
with the ends 8, 10. Owing to the elastic flexibility of the
holding means or fins 7 which have a small base with which they are
attached to the top 4 of the base, the fins are capable of adapting
themselves to any irregularity in the corners 11 or on the inside
walls 6. Consequently, the holding means or fins 7 will apply a
uniform amount of pressure to the walls 6 and thus provide a good
friction fit.
The frictional interfitting of such bricks does not depend upon the
contour of the base. It is merely necessary for the superstructure
2 to match the contour. For example, instead of the square cross
section shown in the drawings, round, oval and rectangular contours
could also be chosen.
The configuration of the superstructure 2 could also be varied in
any desired way, provided the elements of the superstructure are
elastically flexible. For instance the holding means or fins 7
could be repeatedly gapped, the gap width in each instance being
equal to 9 (FIG. 12). A sinusoidal configuration of the
superstructure 2 would also be feasible. In principle three fins
would be sufficient for frictionally fitting two bricks together,
the ends 8 of two fins ending in the corners 11 and the end 8 of
the third ending either nearly in the middle of wall 6 which does
not adjoin either of the corners 11 or in a third corner 11. A firm
connection which would not allow relative rotation between the two
bricks would still be assured.
The disposition of the holding means or fins 7 on the top 4 of the
base may also be varied. For instance four fins 7 could be arranged
to extend from the middle of one side wall 6 to the middle of the
adjoining wall 6 (FIGS. 9, 11). The height of the fins 7 will more
or less depend upon the nature of the material of which they are
made. Generally speaking a soft synthetic plastics of which toy
bricks are commonly made will be preferred. In such a case the
height of the fins may be about one-third of the height of the base
1. If the choice of alternative materials results in a change in
friction between different components, then the height of the fins
may accordingly be increased or reduced.
The arrangement of the fins 7 is always such that the
configurations of the superstructure 2 of two different bricks can
be fitted together 9FIGS. 5, 6). (FIGS. compensating flanks of two
fins make frictional contact. An open longitudinal joint will
remain between the bases 1 of bricks thus joined, the width of the
joint being equal to the height of the fins 7. The presence of this
open joint introduces an aesthetic variant into the construction of
a building from bricks according to the invention.
Moreover, it is also possible to use only some of the fins for
fitting two bricks together. FIG. 7 shows how one brick can be
fitted to another brick at an angle of 45.degree.. The obliquely
fitted brick in the first case is held on the inside of the box by
the flanks and on the outside of the box by the points of two fins
7 each. In the second case the superimposed brick is located by the
flanks of four fins. Two pairs of two fins at an angle of
90.degree. bear against the box sides 1 of the fitted brick. On the
inside the box-shaped base is located by the points of two fins
which bear against cooperating wall faces. In the third example the
fitted brick is located by three fins of which two bear with their
sides against the outside walls of the box, whereas the point of a
third cooperates with the inside face of one of the walls of the
box.
FIGS. 8 to 11 illustrate combinatorial possibilities which arise
because the clearance gaps between the points of neighboring fins 7
are all equal. This permits two bricks placed side by side to be
connected together by a third brick (FIGS. 8, 9). The open
box-shaped base of the coupling brick embraces one half of the
superstructure of each of the two bricks that are to be coupled.
The resultant frictional fit between cooperating walls 6 is
sufficient to create a stable combination of bricks.
Alternatively, the provision of the same constant width clearance
gap 9 between the ends 8 of the fins also permits three bricks to
be fitted together in the manner illustrated in FIGS. 10 and 11. In
this instance the inner ends 10 of neighboring fins 7 are used to
grip the two walls 6 of two adjacent bricks. This also creates a
firm connection in which -- in contradistinction to FIGS. 8 and 9
-- the brick underneath couples two bricks above.
Five individual bricks can be combines in a major constructional
unit. It is again necessary to ensure that the gap width between
the superstructures of two neighboring bricks is the width 9. The
combinatorial possibilities of joining the bricks are thus
preserved. As a basis for a major building, a mounting plate may
also be provided. In such a case a plurality of separate
superstructures are combined on a plate of larger size so that the
erection of the building can proceed from a flat and level surface
on exactly perpendicular building lines. By way of another
accessory, bricks may be so contrived that the base 1 carries a
sloping or V-shaped roof surface. Such bricks can then be used for
the construction of a roof, the V-shaped bricks being used for the
construction of the ridge.
It is, of course, to be understood that the present invention is by
no means limited to the specific showing in the drawings, but also
comprises any modifications within the scope of the appended
claims.
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