EP0109181B1 - Système de construction de jouet/modèle - Google Patents

Système de construction de jouet/modèle Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0109181B1
EP0109181B1 EP83306154A EP83306154A EP0109181B1 EP 0109181 B1 EP0109181 B1 EP 0109181B1 EP 83306154 A EP83306154 A EP 83306154A EP 83306154 A EP83306154 A EP 83306154A EP 0109181 B1 EP0109181 B1 EP 0109181B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
projections
modular unit
main
recesses
unit
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP83306154A
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German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP0109181A1 (fr
Inventor
John A. Inskip
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Brannelly David George
Original Assignee
Individual
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Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Priority to AT83306154T priority Critical patent/ATE55916T1/de
Publication of EP0109181A1 publication Critical patent/EP0109181A1/fr
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0109181B1 publication Critical patent/EP0109181B1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63H—TOYS, e.g. TOPS, DOLLS, HOOPS OR BUILDING BLOCKS
    • A63H33/00—Other toys
    • A63H33/04—Building blocks, strips, or similar building parts
    • A63H33/06—Building blocks, strips, or similar building parts to be assembled without the use of additional elements
    • A63H33/065—Building blocks, strips, or similar building parts to be assembled without the use of additional elements using elastic deformation

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a building toy or model system particularly having modular units and to such units.
  • the aim is to provide a system that has greater flexibility or other advantage, at least in certain circumstances, over well-known and popular systems relying on interference fitting relative to studs in faces of modular members.
  • building is restricted by requirements at least partially to superpose studded and receiving faces of the modular members.
  • Those faces are generally simply the opposite faces of standard or basic modular members of the system.
  • such systems often further lead to provision of an overly large number of special-purpose pieces.
  • a modular unit for interfitting with other such units comprising a body having first and second edges each with sets of main projections such that the set of projections of a said first edge can snap-fittingly interengage the set of projections of a said second edge of another said unit, characterised in that there are two different ways to so interengage, one for hinging of interengaged units and the other for non-hinged interengagement, the main projections, for that purpose, selectively having recesses and further projections interengageable differently for said two ways, with the spaces between the main projections of each of the sets allowing passage of the main projections of the other set for hinging, and with the main projections being superposed for non-hinging.
  • modular members can be provided, even where, as is preferred, the projections are within the thickness of such members, and walls, skins, frames can be built up without undue and/ or clumsy thickness.
  • modular members hereof may be in the form of peripheral frames with optional covers, thus enabling construction of skeletal forms or covered shells.
  • Preferred edge projection formations of two types interfit to afford both a choice of relative angular positions of interengaged members and a choice of hinged and non-hinged interengagement of modular members.
  • Basic members have straight edges with said projections, preferably with at least one of each type on different edges thereof. Rectangular, specifically square, and triangular elements will be described, but should not be taken as limiting, either to equal-length sides or to all-straight-sides shapes of members.
  • preferred embodiments hereof have projections of one type, called male, in the form of lugs with sideways, spigot-like protrusions; and projections of the other type, called female, in the form of lugs with grooves capable of accommodating male spigot-like protrusions.
  • male in the form of lugs with sideways, spigot-like protrusions
  • female in the form of lugs with grooves capable of accommodating male spigot-like protrusions.
  • the spigot-like protrusions of each set should all be aligned together.
  • each of intercalating sets of lugs will have its lugs engaged from both sides.
  • preferred embodiments hereof also have projections of one type, called male, in the form of lugs with thickenings or ribs; and projections of the other type, called female, in the form of lugs with recesses or grooves.
  • the lugs of each type should be staggered and alternating as to their positions in the thickness of the modular member, but now the lugs of the two types will register in position along a side of the member and be capable of being pushed together with lugs of one type sliding over lugs of the other in alternating sequence for security of engagement via interengagement of the thickening or ribs and the recesses or grooves.
  • Both of hinging and non-hinging interengagement are readily provided for by appropriate positioning, in sets, of male lugs with sideways spigots extended as ribs on the lugs; and female lugs with spaced grooves from each side and capable of accommodating either of a said spigot or a said rib like extension. Gaps between such ribs and such grooves as lands can assure lateral location.
  • a half female or male type projection will usually be located at one end of each side of our modular members.
  • the spacing of the grooves/spigots on their respective projections from the sides of the modular members are readily set so as to assist interengagement of modular members at angles other than 90° or 180°.
  • the ends of at least the female type projections may be chamfered to further assist interengagement.
  • the modular members may further comprise decorative or distinguishing means removably attachable thereto.
  • the distinguishing means may in one embodiment comprise the aforesaid covers each being a substantially planar member adapted to engage and fill-in a recess or the like in the modular member.
  • the planar member which serves as an in-fill member may in a further embodiment comprise a skirt portion depending from one surface of the planar member, the skirt portion being adapted to interengage and interfit the recess, or a hole through the modular member as for a frame-like modular member.
  • the skirt portion is preferably spaced from a peripheral portion of the planar member, so as to permit the peripheral portion to overlie the one or more sides of the modular member.
  • the skirt portion is preferably adapted to friction-fit recess or the like of the planar member.
  • the recess or the like has preferably the same dimensions as the skirt portion so that the recess or the like may positively interengage and interfit with the skirt portion.
  • the planar member may be identifiable by sight, preferably colour and/or pattern, and/or by touch, preferably texture.
  • the modular member may be formed by moulding, for example injection moulding, a synthetic polymeric material, such as a general purpose polystyrene, polypropylene or reinforced nylon.
  • a synthetic polymeric material such as a general purpose polystyrene, polypropylene or reinforced nylon.
  • a bulding system module of resilient plastics material has a generally open square body 10 having sides 11 of much less width and depth than their length. On each side 11 are a series of lug-like projections for interengagement with complementary lug-like projections of other modules.
  • the male type comprises a pair of rod- like spigots 15 extending generally parallel to the module sides in opposite directions from a lug 16.
  • the spigot formations 15 extend partially above the top or bottom surface 17 of the associated lug 16 depending on the orientation of the module. As shown, such extensions are alternately above top and bottom surfaces from one lug to the next.
  • the female type projection comprises a lug 20 having a pair of grooves 21 in top or bottom surfaces thereof for accommodating the spigots of the male type projections. Again, as shown, the grooves 21 alternate in being in top and bottom surfaces from one lug to the next.
  • each side is a one-sided or half projection for both male and female sets of projections.
  • the sets of male projections have their spigots 18 all in alignment, effectively to define an axis of rotation that is at one half of the thickness of the module along asssociated sides and positioned spaced both from the free ends and from the bottom of the lugs.
  • the sets of female grooves are aligned and positioned for the same purpose when mated intercalatingly with a male set for hinged interconnection.
  • each lug 16 will engage grooves 21 of two flanking lugs 20 from opposite sides and the same clearly applies to the grooved lugs 20 and flanking spigoted lugs 16, so that a secure hinged interengagement is achieved.
  • each of the spigots 15 over the top or bottom surface of lugs 16 is also such as to be accommodated by the grooves 21 in the lugs 20, and the widths of the lugs as well as the spaces on each lug between ends of its spigot or groove formations permit of the lugs 16 and 20 being interconnected in superposition (see Figure 7) giving a substantially rigid, no hinged interconnection with the modules concerned essentially coplanar.
  • Engagement of modules is achieved by pushing complementary projections together in the desired orientation of the modules until the spigots 15 are in the grooves 21.
  • the resilience of the module material allows some deformation of the projections to facilitate this.
  • chamfered ends 25 of the female type projections can facilitate the push engagement of the modules.
  • hinged connection between the two modules would be formed at the right hand side of the first or lower module by translating the upper module to the right hand side of the module of Figure 1, and then pushing complementary projections or lugs together.
  • a similar connection can also be made after rotating the upper module clockwise through 90°, due to the male projection sets 13 being on adjacent sides of the modules 10.
  • a single further module is secured to the previously coupled modules in a hinged relationship. If two further modules are secured to the previously coupled modules, the connection so formed between the additional modules is substantially co-planar and rigid or non-hinged, and the four relatively secured modules are in cruciform relation.
  • Figure 1 represents a development from a module where similarly lugged sides were disposed oppositely, but no particular disadvantages in use is seen in the latter as an alternative or additional option to what is shown. However, for manufacture, that shown will need no relative inversion of the lug formations of the same type.
  • Figure 8 shows a triangular module 40 with two female and one male side otherwise the same as for Figure 1. It will, of course be useful also to provide a triangular module with two male and one female side.
  • a substantially planar in-fill member 50 is shown in Figure 9 having a skirt 52 depending therefrom and spaced from a peripheral portion 54 thereof.
  • the in-fill member is adapted to engage and interfit a central recess 70 in a module and serves to distinguish modules relative to each other.
  • the skirt is adapted to friction fit the recess, whilst the peripheral portion 54 can overlie the sides of the module. It will be evident that similar provision may be made for the triangular module.
  • modules of any geometric shape with at least one straight side normally a plurality such as rectangles and other polygons, are included within the scope of the invention.

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  • Toys (AREA)

Claims (10)

1. Dans ou pour un système de jeu ou de maquette de construction, un élément modulaire réalisé en vue d'un ajustement réciproque avec d'autres éléments du même type, l'élément modulaire comprenant un corps (10), présentant des premiers et seconds bords (11) dont chacun est doté de jeux (13, 14) de saillies principales (16, 20), de telle sorte que le jeu (13) de saillies (16) d'un premier bord précité et le jeu (14) de saillies (20) d'un second bord précité d'un autre élément précité puissent s'engager réciproquement d'une manière ajustée, par encliquetage, caractérisé par le fait qu'il existe deux différentes manières de réaliser un tel engagement réciproque, l'une en vue d'une articulation des éléments engagés réciproquement, et l'autre en vue d'un engagement réciproque non articulé, les saillies principales (16, 20), dans ce but, présentant de façon sélective des cavités (21 de 20) et des saillies supplémentaires (15 de 16) et étant espacées dans chacun desdits jeux avec les cavités (21) et les saillies supplémentaires (15) susceptibles d'engagement réciproque de façon différente pour les deux manières précitées, les espaces entre les saillies principales (16, 20) de chacun des jeux (13, 14) permettant le passage des saillies principales (20, 16) de l'autre jeu (14, 13) pour l'articulation, et les saillies principales (16,20) étant superposées pour la non-articulation.
2. Elément modulaire selon la revendication 1, dans lequel les saillies principales (16, 20) des jeux (13, 14) pour lesdits premiers et seconds bords sont de différents types, respectivement, l'une (20) présentant lesdites cavités (21) et l'autre (16) présentant lesdites saillies supplémentaires (15).
3. Elément modulaire selon la revendication 1, ou la revendication 2, dans lequel chacune des saillies supplémentaires (15) s'étend latéralement à la fois à partir de sa saillie principale associée (16) et à travers une partie de cette saillie principale (16), dans une direction parallèle à son bord associé (11).
4. Elément modulaire selon la revendication 3, dans lequel, pour la liaison articulée à un autre élément précité, les cavités (21) s'engagent réciproquement avec les parties s'étendant latéralement des saillies supplémentaires (16) et, pour la liaison non-articulée à un autre élément précité, les cavités (21) s'engagent réciproquement avec les autres parties des saillies supplémentaires (16).
5. Elément modulaire selon l'une des revendications précédentes, dans lequel chacune des cavités (21) s'étend sous la forme d'une rainure à travers une partie de sa saillie principale associée (20) dans une direction parallèle à son bord associé (11).
6. Elément modulaire selon l'une des revendications précédentes, dans lequel les saillies principales (16, 20) de chacun desdits jeux (13, 14) alternent dans leur saillie à partir des côtés opposés de l'élément modulaire au-dessus et au-dessous d'un axe d'articulation défini par les cavités (21) ou saillies supplémentaires (15) précitées associées.
7. Elément modulaire selon l'une des revendications précédentes, dans lequel au moins les saillies principales d'un jeu précité de saillies présentent des extrémités chanfreinées (25).
8. Elément modulaire selon l'une des revendications précédentes, dans lequel le corps (10) est de configuration généralement plane, et aplatie.
9. Elément modulaire selon l'une des revendications précédentes, dans lequel le corps (10) comprend un cadre périphérique avec une ouverture centrale.
10. Elément modulaire selon la revendication 9, comprenant en outre un couvercle (50) s'adaptant par encliquetage dans ladite ouverture.
EP83306154A 1982-10-15 1983-10-12 Système de construction de jouet/modèle Expired - Lifetime EP0109181B1 (fr)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AT83306154T ATE55916T1 (de) 1982-10-15 1983-10-12 Spielzeug/modell-bausystem.

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB8229559 1982-10-15
GB8229559 1982-10-15

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0109181A1 EP0109181A1 (fr) 1984-05-23
EP0109181B1 true EP0109181B1 (fr) 1990-08-29

Family

ID=10533635

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP83306154A Expired - Lifetime EP0109181B1 (fr) 1982-10-15 1983-10-12 Système de construction de jouet/modèle

Country Status (3)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0109181B1 (fr)
AT (1) ATE55916T1 (fr)
DE (1) DE3381846D1 (fr)

Families Citing this family (13)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CA1222869A (fr) * 1983-03-30 1987-06-16 284215 Alberta Limited Modules polygonaux interconnectables pour le batiment
US4606732A (en) * 1984-06-15 1986-08-19 Ronald Lyman Interlocking toy building blocks with interconnecting, releasable hinges
GB8712673D0 (en) * 1987-05-29 1987-07-01 Negal D G C Elements
US5104345A (en) * 1990-03-09 1992-04-14 Lyman Ronald L Toy construction set formed from plural building blocks
US5259803A (en) * 1991-04-09 1993-11-09 Lyman Ronald L Toy construction set featuring gears and radiant connectors
US6142848A (en) * 1992-08-28 2000-11-07 Geo Australia Pty. Limited Educational toy components
GB2294207B (en) * 1994-10-20 1998-05-13 Edward Henry Harvey Polygonal element for forming polythedral structures
US5895306A (en) * 1996-01-10 1999-04-20 Seven Towns Limited Polygonal puzzle kit capable of three-dimensional construction, such as toy construction
BE1010833A6 (nl) * 1997-01-06 1999-02-02 Parein Eric Speelgoedelement.
AU2002229474A1 (en) * 2000-12-15 2002-06-24 Harald Berns Plastic construction element for constructing dimensionally stable hollow bodies
CA2430068C (fr) * 2002-05-30 2013-04-16 Universite Laval Elements de construction pour ensembles tridimensionnels
GB2502546A (en) * 2012-05-30 2013-12-04 Cedarberg Ltd A modular construction set
US20150260206A1 (en) * 2013-03-15 2015-09-17 Michael James Acerra Construction system using a comb connector

Family Cites Families (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR1108410A (fr) * 1954-07-06 1956-01-12 Cube pour jeux d'enfants pouvant être utilisé comme boîte, plus spécialement dans la confiserie
US2776521A (en) * 1954-10-27 1957-01-08 Elmer L Zimmerman Construction toy
DE1603624A1 (de) * 1967-12-23 1971-11-25 Fritz Steiner Bauspielzeug mit plattenfoermigen Bauelementen
GB1277586A (en) * 1968-10-29 1972-06-14 Unilever Ltd Toothpastes
BE794958A (fr) * 1972-02-03 1973-05-29 Harvey Edward H Jeu de construction et elements le composant
GB1442602A (en) * 1972-12-20 1976-07-14 Moulded Plastics Birmingham Lt Constructional apparatus for recreational and/or educational and display purposes
DE2356930C2 (de) * 1973-11-14 1984-08-23 August 8000 München Mayr Bauelementensatz für Spielzwecke

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
ATE55916T1 (de) 1990-09-15
EP0109181A1 (fr) 1984-05-23
DE3381846D1 (de) 1990-10-04

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