Panel construction toy

Abstract

A panel construction toy including hollow body building elements capable of interengagement to form various constructional configurations; for example, house-like or other modular arrangements. The panel toy comprises wall, door, window and roof panels as well as coupling members adapted to interengage portions thereof, thereby securely fastening the panels together. The panel construction is further of such a character that the transitional point between panels is made in a smooth continuous fashion.

Description

The present invention relates to a panel construction set of the type adapted to enable the user to fashion a variety of configurations, including typical dollhouse-like structures. More particularly, the invention contemplates varying arrangements of such panels and accommodates such arrangements so as to securely engage each panel one with the other. Similarly, the panel edge construction is such to provide a continuous smooth flowing transition at the points of panel intersection during engagement.

Prior art construction sets have for the most part relied upon the interengagement of numerous small building block members in the creation of building-like structures. These arrangements, although satisfactory in many respects, required a user to engage in a tedious time-consuming exercise to erect a structure of any size. Likewise, any such sizable structure was extremely vulnerable due to its lack of rigidity. Similarly, those construction sets which include larger panel or block members are such that they lack versatility in their arrangement and thus only a very few constructions may be derived therefrom.

This invention incorporates the aspect of versatility as well as the other advantages of the typical small construction toy into a larger panel type toy. In so doing, several aspects similar to the toy construction of U.S. Pat. No. 3,032,919 are employed which patent is herein incorporated by reference. Of particular significance, however, is the fact that the panels of this invention are interengageable at only their cornermost portions and that intermediate these portions, there is positioned a beveled side wall construction. Such beveled construction, as will become more evident hereinbelow, lends itself to producing a smooth flowing uniform edge arrangement regardless of the manner in which the various panels are interconnected.

Accordingly, it is a primary objective of the invention to provide an enlarged panel type toy having the rigidity of construction typical thereof and yet incorporating a versatility of interengagement of parts such that it may take numerous structural configurations.

This and other objects and advantages of the invention will become further apparent from the following detailed description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a wall panel embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the wall panel shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the wall panel depicted in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a cross-section of the wall panel taken along line 4--4 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of a door panel embodying the invention;

FIG. 6 is a bottom plan view of the door panel shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a side elevation of the door panel depicted in FIG. 1 looking at the side to which the opening in the panel extends;

FIG. 8 is a cross-section of the door panel taken along line 8--8 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 9 is a top plan view of a window panel embodying the invention;

FIG. 10 is a bottom plan view of the window panel shown in FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a side elevation of the window panel depicted in FIG. 9;

FIG. 12 is a cross-section of the window panel taken along line 12--12 of FIG. 9;

FIG. 13 is a top plan view of a roof panel embodying the invention;

FIG. 14 is a side elevation of the roof panel shown in FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is an end elevation of the roof panel shown in FIG. 13;

FIG. 16 is a cross-section taken through the roof panel along line 16--16 of FIG. 13; and,

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of several interconnected wall panels embodying the invention.

Referring more particularly to the annexed drawings, there is disclosed in FIGS. 1, 5 and 9 very similar hollow body element constructions of a wall panel 10, door panel 12, and window panel 14, respectively. Each of these panels takes approximately the same form with the exception that door and window panels 12 and 14 include inwardly disposed openings 16 and 18, respectively, extending therethrough. Thus, it may be further seen that each panel or hollow body element includes a substantially flat top portion or wall 20 which is bounded by a skirt member 22 depending from the perimeter of each top portion or wall 20. From the cornermost portion 24 of this skirt member projects substantially horizontally directed, relatively thin ledge portion 26 that is located about midway the height of the skirt member 22.

In the embodiments illustrated, each element 10, 12 and 14 is square-shaped and the ledge portion 26 extends around the corners thereof. This part of the ledge portion is preferably cut-off at approximately a 45.degree. angle; however, they may be rounded, if desired. The ledge portion 26 is therefore divided into two sections at each of the four corners of the panels, each having a top face 26a and a bottom face 26b which are respectively provided at their outermost edges with elongated bosses or projections 28, 28a preferably two bosses 28 on the top face of each ledge section and staggered thereto three bosses 28a on the bottom face (see FIGS. 1 and 3). These bosses or projections are arranged a predetermined distance from each other, as shown, and form together with the ledge portion 26 a first male part of a detachable joint structure.

Intermediate these corner ledge portions 26, there is positioned a beveled side wall member 30 which extends downwardly from top portion 20 to the outermost edge 32 of ledge portion 26. Note also that the corner junction between top wall 20 and skirt members 22 at the panel corners are also beveled as at 31 so as to produce a more pleasing appearance.

As is most readily apparent from FIG. 17, the beveled side wall members 30 of adjacently positioned interengaged panels are juxtapositioned and form a smooth outer wall continuity between panels regardless of their relative positions one with the other. As can be seen, an outside cornering arrangement 33 of the top walls 20 exposes the couplings or column-shaped elements 34 but the intermediate beveled side wall members 30 produce a mating surface area that forms a smooth transition between the top walls. Similarly, where the topwalls are positioned to produce an inside corner 36 the beveled side wall members 30 are positioned face to face and a sharp corner area results. Planar positioning of the panels results in a V-shaped joint being formed therebetween as at 38 but this is negated by the smooth disposition produced by the couplings 34 between the top walls 20.

Another similar hollow body element forming a part of this invention is a roof panel 40 as is depicted in FIGS. 13-16. This panel includes a dual top wall area having portions 42, 44 which are angularly disposed with respect to one another and are joined together at a peak 46. The roof is completed by integral end wall members 48.

As with the wall type panels, this panel also incorporates skirt member 22 which is here placed along the lower edges of portions 42, 44. Likewise, the ledge portion 26, bosses 28, 28a and beveled side wall members 30, as are hereinabove described, are similarly employed so that this element may be securely joined with any of the others.

Referring again to the wall, door and window panels and particularly to FIGS. 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12, it will be apparent that the hollow body elements are reinforced by an interconnected web structure 48 emanating outwardly from the underface of top wall portion 20. Also there are attached to that underface and to the inner face of skirt member 22 a plurality of rib means 50. Each of these rib means has a web 52 terminating in an enlarged or circular-shaped end.

The ribs 50 are of a similar construction to that described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,032,919 and this, as well as the ledge/boss and coupling 34 arrangements function as described therein. It should suffice to say, therefore, that this invention provides a novel panel toy of a slip or snap together construction which may be employed to create innumerable configurations of varying size and design.

All of the hollow body elements may be manufactured of moldable plastic material for example by injection molding or any other suitable process. Such material should have a certain springiness and not be liable to break so that it lends itself to composing a great variety of structural configurations in accordance with a person's ideas and imagination. Similarly, coupling element 34 may be made of an extrudable plastic composition such as high density polyethylene, so that it exhibits the flexibility and springiness for the purposes of the invention.

It can be seen that there has been described according to the invention a versatile panel type toy that makes possible the creation of sizable, stable configurations yet maintains a flexibility heretofore only found in smaller building block type toys.

Claims

1. A panel member adapted for abutment with members similar thereto and including a top wall member having a depending skirt portion extending at least partially therearound, ledge portions adapted to receive coupling members thereon positioned at spaced intervals around said skirt portion and extending approximately perpendicularly therefrom, and beveled sidewall members placed intermediate of said ledge portions and extending outwardly from said top wall member to a terminus proximate the outermost edge of said ledge portion, said beveled side wall members being thus adapted for juxtapositioning with like walls of similar panel members upon the abutment of such similar panel members.

2. A panel member according to claim 1 wherein said ledge portions are positioned along said skirt portion adjacent the respective corners of said top wall member.

3. A panel member according to claim 2 wherein said beveled side wall members extend from a major portion of the edge of said top wall member.

4. A panel member according to claim 1 wherein an opening is provided in said top wall member.

5. A panel member according to claim 4 wherein said opening extends to the said skirt portion on at least one side of said panel member.