EP0357282A1 - Faltbares vieleckiges Spielbauelement - Google Patents

Faltbares vieleckiges Spielbauelement Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0357282A1
EP0357282A1 EP89308245A EP89308245A EP0357282A1 EP 0357282 A1 EP0357282 A1 EP 0357282A1 EP 89308245 A EP89308245 A EP 89308245A EP 89308245 A EP89308245 A EP 89308245A EP 0357282 A1 EP0357282 A1 EP 0357282A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
edge
construction element
fingers
living hinge
toy construction
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.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP89308245A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Inventor
James T. Ziegler
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.)
Novation Design Ltd
Original Assignee
Novation Design Ltd
Priority date (The priority date 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 date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Novation Design Ltd filed Critical Novation Design Ltd
Publication of EP0357282A1 publication Critical patent/EP0357282A1/de
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current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
    • A63H33/08—Building blocks, strips, or similar building parts to be assembled without the use of additional elements provided with complementary holes, grooves, or protuberances, e.g. dovetails
    • A63H33/088—Building blocks, strips, or similar building parts to be assembled without the use of additional elements provided with complementary holes, grooves, or protuberances, e.g. dovetails with holes
    • 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
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63F—CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • A63F9/00—Games not otherwise provided for
    • A63F9/06—Patience; Other games for self-amusement
    • A63F9/12—Three-dimensional jig-saw puzzles
    • A63F2009/1244—Three-dimensional jig-saw puzzles with foldable pieces, e.g. pieces having folds or hinges

Definitions

  • This invention relates to building toys and, more particularly, to polygonal construction elements capable of being connected together by their edges.
  • Zimmerman U.S. Patent 2,776,521 which discloses an edge connector system generally similar to this invention.
  • the object of the Zimmerman design is to provide a construction toy in which the basic units are flat, simple geometric figures, such as squares or equilateral triangles which are adapted to be joined to each other to form three-dimensional figures.
  • the basic units are provided with identical edges adapted to mesh to form a hinge and allow a large number of con­figurations to be assembled, including many regular three-­dimensional geometric shapes.
  • a polygonal toy construction element comprising a substan­tially flat body portion having four or more edge faces of substantially equal length and top and bottom faces, each edge face having formed thereon a plurality of outwardly projecting integrally formed connectors adapted to connect with corresponding projecting connectors of an edge face of another construction element in a snap-together lateral interlock between adjacent elements while permitting hinging action between connected elements on an axis paral­lel to the connected edge faces, characterized in that said construction element has at least one line of reduced thickness extending across the body of the element from apices of the polygon and through the center of the body of the element to form at least one living hinge which separates the body of the element into at least two equal triangular portions joined by at least one living hinge, the three sides of each triangular portion including at least one living hinge and at least one edge face.
  • the edge connec­tors comprise a plurality of outwardly projecting inte­grally formed fingers and spaces therebetween , said fingers and spaces being positioned along each said side edge of an ele­ment such that the alignment of fingers and spaces along the edge face of an element will inversely mate with corresponding fingers and spaces of an edge face of another element, a side edge of at least one of the fingers having a convex projection and at least one of said fingers having a depression, said projections and depressions being arranged to provide a snap-together lateral interlock between adjacent elements while permitting hinging action between elements on an axis parallel to an edge face.
  • the construction element of this invention can assume many different polygonal shapes having four or more sides.
  • each edge of each polygon is preferably of the same length such that all edge faces are interconnect severelyable. They may be formed from a wide variety of plastic materials having the resilience necessary to withstand multiple foldings along a thin strip.
  • the living hinge provides for addi­tional movement and shapes without the necessity of intro­ducing irregular edge lengths. For instance, a square ele­ment with a living hinge according to the present invention may become two right triangles. If a separate right tri­angle were manufactured, it would have two equal edge lengths and one unequal edge length.
  • the living hinge extending between apices of a polygon makes it possible to greatly increase the variety of constructions while using only one modular edge length.
  • the edge faces of the element, including the fingers 12, are formed by a downwardly extending skirt portion 19, with the edge faces of fingers 12 have mating concave depressions 13 and convex projections 14 arranged as shown. It is not essential to provide these depressions and projections in every finger.
  • a living hinge 15 consisting of a groove 16 formed in the bottom face of the element 10 to create a very thin wall area 17 adjacent the top face of the ele­ment with this thin strip 17 creating the living hinge.
  • stiffening strips 18 are provided adjacent the groove 16, and additional stiffeners 29 may extend across the element.
  • Figure 6 shows a diamond shaped element 30 and it will be appreciated that the angles of this diamond shaped ele­ment may be varied. It includes four edge faces 31, 32, 33 and 34 with the usual projecting fingers 12 and a single living hinge 35 extending across between opposite corners of the element. The living hinge 35 divides the diamond shaped structure into equal triangles.
  • a regular pentagon 40 is shown in Figure 7 having five equal sides 41, 42, 43, 44 and 45 with projecting fingers 12. This element is divided into five identical triangular sections by means of five living hinges 46 extending bet­ween corners of the pentagon and the center of the pentagon.
  • Each living hinge can fold in either a forward or back­ward direction, creating great versatility in construction design.
  • One simple design taking advantage of both folding aspects of the living hinge is illustrated in Figure 8. This structure has been built from folding squares accord­ing to this invention with outside living hinge fold corners 15′ and inside living hinge fold corners 15 ⁇ .
  • FIG. 9 A small animal like character constructed with the living hinge of this invention is shown in Figure 9.
  • This includes a folding rectangular element 10 according to this invention with living hinge 15 ⁇ , having triangular pieces as described in U.S. Patent 4,731,041 connected thereto with eye pieces 61. Further triangular pieces 62 with holes 63 are edge con­nected to the triangular pieces 60. The remainder of the character is formed by two further triangular pieces 64 connected to the folding element 10, with folding element 10 forming the mouth of the character.

Landscapes

  • Toys (AREA)
EP89308245A 1988-08-15 1989-08-15 Faltbares vieleckiges Spielbauelement Withdrawn EP0357282A1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA000574769A CA1304578C (en) 1988-08-15 1988-08-15 Folding polygonal toy construction element
CA574769 1988-08-15

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0357282A1 true EP0357282A1 (de) 1990-03-07

Family

ID=4138549

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP89308245A Withdrawn EP0357282A1 (de) 1988-08-15 1989-08-15 Faltbares vieleckiges Spielbauelement

Country Status (6)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0357282A1 (de)
JP (1) JPH0282995A (de)
KR (1) KR910004228A (de)
AU (1) AU3959189A (de)
BR (1) BR8904104A (de)
CA (1) CA1304578C (de)

Cited By (12)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE9404557U1 (de) * 1994-03-17 1994-09-15 Gemeinschaftswerk für Behinderte GmbH, 66849 Landstuhl Verbindung von Baukastenelementen durch Drehgelenke
US6066022A (en) * 1998-02-06 2000-05-23 The Little Tikes Company Collapsible activity center
US6854221B1 (en) * 2002-12-24 2005-02-15 Michael J. Michaels Structural building block for use in wall construction, methods of using same, and wall constructed therewith
US7527845B2 (en) 2000-11-28 2009-05-05 Samsonite Corporation Connection element structure for a non-textile fabric
GB2467305A (en) * 2008-12-31 2010-08-04 Crocoworldwide Sourcing Ltd A modular ball toy
US7972549B2 (en) 1999-10-29 2011-07-05 Samsonite Ip Holdings S.A.R.L. Direct forming of non-textile fabric elements from plastic pellets
US8197922B2 (en) 1999-10-29 2012-06-12 Samsonite Ip Holdings S.A.R.L. Flexlock with headed pintle and conical buttressing
WO2016170378A3 (en) * 2015-04-24 2016-12-01 Zakariás István Set of construction elements and construction assembly
CN107261513A (zh) * 2017-08-01 2017-10-20 上海未来伙伴机器人有限公司 一种连接件、拼接组件及机器人
US10159905B2 (en) 2016-09-01 2018-12-25 Gracewood Management, Inc. Construction toy set of connectable and positionable elements
US11358071B1 (en) 2020-12-30 2022-06-14 Gracewood Management, Inc. Building block toy
CN115040879A (zh) * 2022-06-28 2022-09-13 江苏凤凰教育出版社有限公司 一种单一模块可拼接箱体的制造方法及可拼接箱体

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CA2538553A1 (en) * 2006-03-03 2007-09-03 Plastic Play Inc. Toy construction elements

Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2119921A (en) * 1936-03-12 1938-06-07 Premo Rubber Company Ltd Toy building blocks, tiles, bricks, and the like
US2776521A (en) * 1954-10-27 1957-01-08 Elmer L Zimmerman Construction toy
US3670449A (en) * 1971-03-04 1972-06-20 Mattel Inc Construction element toy
FR2170214A1 (de) * 1972-02-03 1973-09-14 Harvey Edward
EP0121433A1 (de) * 1983-03-30 1984-10-10 Novation Design Ltd. Zusammensteckbare vieleckige Bauelemente
US4635411A (en) * 1980-10-14 1987-01-13 Aaron Kurzen Construction panel system
US4685892A (en) * 1985-09-19 1987-08-11 Mattel, Inc. Toy construction set

Patent Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2119921A (en) * 1936-03-12 1938-06-07 Premo Rubber Company Ltd Toy building blocks, tiles, bricks, and the like
US2776521A (en) * 1954-10-27 1957-01-08 Elmer L Zimmerman Construction toy
US3670449A (en) * 1971-03-04 1972-06-20 Mattel Inc Construction element toy
FR2170214A1 (de) * 1972-02-03 1973-09-14 Harvey Edward
US4635411A (en) * 1980-10-14 1987-01-13 Aaron Kurzen Construction panel system
EP0121433A1 (de) * 1983-03-30 1984-10-10 Novation Design Ltd. Zusammensteckbare vieleckige Bauelemente
US4685892A (en) * 1985-09-19 1987-08-11 Mattel, Inc. Toy construction set

Cited By (14)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE9404557U1 (de) * 1994-03-17 1994-09-15 Gemeinschaftswerk für Behinderte GmbH, 66849 Landstuhl Verbindung von Baukastenelementen durch Drehgelenke
US6066022A (en) * 1998-02-06 2000-05-23 The Little Tikes Company Collapsible activity center
US8197922B2 (en) 1999-10-29 2012-06-12 Samsonite Ip Holdings S.A.R.L. Flexlock with headed pintle and conical buttressing
US8557160B2 (en) 1999-10-29 2013-10-15 Samsonite Ip Holdings S.A.R.L. Direct forming of non-textile fabric elements from plastic pellets
US8491979B2 (en) 1999-10-29 2013-07-23 Samsonite Ip Holdings S.A.R.L. Flexlock with headed pintle and conical buttressing
US7972549B2 (en) 1999-10-29 2011-07-05 Samsonite Ip Holdings S.A.R.L. Direct forming of non-textile fabric elements from plastic pellets
US7527845B2 (en) 2000-11-28 2009-05-05 Samsonite Corporation Connection element structure for a non-textile fabric
US6854221B1 (en) * 2002-12-24 2005-02-15 Michael J. Michaels Structural building block for use in wall construction, methods of using same, and wall constructed therewith
GB2467305A (en) * 2008-12-31 2010-08-04 Crocoworldwide Sourcing Ltd A modular ball toy
WO2016170378A3 (en) * 2015-04-24 2016-12-01 Zakariás István Set of construction elements and construction assembly
US10159905B2 (en) 2016-09-01 2018-12-25 Gracewood Management, Inc. Construction toy set of connectable and positionable elements
CN107261513A (zh) * 2017-08-01 2017-10-20 上海未来伙伴机器人有限公司 一种连接件、拼接组件及机器人
US11358071B1 (en) 2020-12-30 2022-06-14 Gracewood Management, Inc. Building block toy
CN115040879A (zh) * 2022-06-28 2022-09-13 江苏凤凰教育出版社有限公司 一种单一模块可拼接箱体的制造方法及可拼接箱体

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
CA1304578C (en) 1992-07-07
BR8904104A (pt) 1990-04-10
JPH0282995A (ja) 1990-03-23
KR910004228A (ko) 1991-03-28
AU3959189A (en) 1990-02-15

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