CA1112451A

CA1112451A - Toy figures

Info

Publication number: CA1112451A
Application number: CA374,797A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Erik P. Tapdrup
Original assignee: Interlego AG
Current assignee: Interlego AG
Priority date: 1978-05-02
Filing date: 1981-04-06
Publication date: 1981-11-17

Abstract

Abstract of the Disclosure A toy figure, adapted to be detachably mounted on a base plate pertain-ing to a toy building set and provided with coupling studs, is provided with a leg assembly comprising a pair of identical leg elements having substantially plane rear faces (calves). Recesses comprising lengthwise extending channels are provided in the rear faces of the leg elements, and the width of these recesses is substantially equal to the width of the studs of the base plate.
The recesses are symmetrical with respect to the lengthwise extending median plane of the leg elements and, in the position of the leg elements wherein their rear faces coincide, the distance between the axes of symmetry of the recesses is equal to the module m of the building set.

Description

4~1 This application is divided out of copending Canadian application No.
309,734, filed August 21, 1978.
This invention generally relates to toy figures and, more particularly, to a toy figure which is adapted to be used as a component in a toy building set composed of building blocks and other elements provided with coupling means for detachably interconnecting adjacent blocks or other components.
Toy building sets of the kind referred to are well-known in prior art, and a typical example of such toy building sets is described in the Canadian Patent No. 629,732.
More recently, it has been suggested to supplement the known building sets with dolls and similar toy figures provided with movable limbs and coupling means for detachably connecting them to other components of the building set.
As an example of prior art relating to assemblable toy figures reference may be had to USA Patent No. 3,995,395 and the various patents cited therein.
The most relevant prior art, however, are the toy figures manufactured by the applicants as accessories to their toy building sets. These dolls are well suited for mounting on a base plate pertaining to the building set, and the present invention is concerned with a toy figure of this kind.
29 The main object of the invention is to improve and supplement the coupling means that have so far been used for detachably interconnecting the toy figures with the base plates of the building set.
According to the invention, there is provided a toy figure, adapted to be detachably mounted on a base plate pertaining to a building set and having a plurality of coupling studs uniformly spaced apart in both longitudinal and transverse directions, so that two pairs of adjacent studs define a square in which the distance between the axes of adjacent studs is equal to the module m ,. ~

lil~45 L
of the building set, said toy figure comprising a head, a body, a pair of arms pivotably mounted on the body, and a pair of identical leg members pivotally mounted on the body, said leg members having substantially flat rear faces ~calves) and foot parts having a plane bottom face (sole), wherein the improve-ments consist in the provision of recesses in the form of channels extending lengthwise of the flat rear face (calf) of the leg members and recesses in the bottom face (sole) of the foot parts, each of said recesses having a width substantially equal to the width of the coupling studs of the base plate and being disposed symmetrically with respect to an axis extending in the lengthwise direction of the leg member and foot part respectively, the distance between the said axes of symmetry, in the position of the leg members wherein the planes of their flat rear faces (calves~ coincide, being equal to the module _ of the building set.
An embodiment of a toy figure according to the invention will be described in the following with reference to the drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a rear elevation of the figure showing the back and the rear face of the leg members in an upright position.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same Figure, partly in vertical section.
Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line III-III of Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line IV-IV of Figure 2.
Figure 5 is a side elevation, partly in vertical section showing the figure of Figures 1 and 2 in a seated position on a base plate.
Figure 6 is a rear elevation of the figure shown in Figure 5.
Referring now to Figures 1-6, the toy figure comprises a body member 10 having a pair of arms 11 pivotally mounted on the body member. The upper portion of the body member 10 is provided with a neck portion 13 and a head 12 mounted thereon and comprising a coupling stud 14 for detachable interconnection with elements pertaining to a toy building set.
The body member 10 also pivotally mounts a pair of identical leg members 20 having front faces 20a and side faces 20b and foot parts 29 having top faces 29a and side faces 29b.
In the parent application, recesses in the flat rear face (calf) of each leg member comprise two identical circùlar bores in each leg member, and the distance between the centers of these bores is equal to the module _ of the building set, i.e. to the distance between the axes of a pair of adjacent coup-ling studs 3Q on a base plate 31 pertaining to the building set. Moreover, in the position where the planes of the rear faces coincide, the lateral distance between the centers of the bores is also equal to the module m of the building set. In this position, therefore, the four bores define a square, the side of which is equal to the module m, which enables the figure to be mounted in a seated position on two adjacent pairs of the studs 30 of the base plate 31.
In order that the figure may also be mounted in an upright position on the base plate 31, the foot parts also had circular bores therein.
The present invention enables the toy figures to be moved relatively to the base plate instead of being locked to the studs. Whether or not it is of particular importance to provide for a slidable or rocking interconnection between a toy figure and its base plate is chiefly a matter of choice, but it is generally considered that most children will prefer the toy figure to be movable relatively to the base plate.
The characteristic feature of the present invention is that the recesses in the calves of the leg members 20 and in the soles of the foot parts 29 are channels or grooves 27 and 32 respectively. As shown in Figure 3, the channels 27 are symmetrical with respect to lengthwise extending median planes ~.

x-x which are interspaced at a distance which is equal to the module m of the building set, and the width of these channels is substantially equal to the width of the coupling studs 30 of the base plate 31, shown in Figures 5 and 6. Like-wise, the recesses in the foot parts 29 are formed as channels 32 which extend in the lengthwise direction of the foot parts and hence at right angles to the recesses 27 of the leg members 20, the width of the channels 32 being also equal to the width of the s.uds 30~
As shown in Figure 2, the channels 32 in the foot parts 29 may be open at the front end 32a, so as to enable the figure in the upright position to slide along two rows of studs 30 of the base plate. In the seated position of Figures 5 and 6, the figure is slidably mounted on the base plate along an adjacent pair of rows of studs 30 which engage the channels 27.

Claims

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. A toy figure, adapted to be detachably mounted on a base plate per-taining to a building set and having a plurality of coupling studs uniformly spaced apart in both longitudinal and transverse directions, so that two pairs of adjacent studs define a square in which the distance between the axes of adjacent studs is equal to the module m of the building set, said toy figure comprising a head, a body, a pair of arms pivotally mounted on the body, a pair of identical leg members pivotally mounted on the body, said leg members having substantially flat rear faces {calves} and foot parts having a plane bottom face (sole), wherein the improvements consist in the provision of recesses in the form of channels extending lengthwise of the flat rear face (calf) of the leg members and recesses in the bottom face (sole) of the foot parts, each of said recesses having a width substantially equal to the width of the coupling studs of the base plate and being disposed symmetrically with respect to an axis extending in the lengthwise direction of the leg member and foot part respec-tively, the distance between the said axes of symmetry, in the position of the leg members wherein the planes of their flat rear faces (calves) coincide, being equal to the module m of the building set.

2. A toy figure according to claim 1, wherein the recesses in the bottom faces (soles) of the foot parts are channels extending into the channels in the flat rear faces (calves) of the leg members.