EP0492819B1

EP0492819B1 - Plastic link toy

Info

Publication number: EP0492819B1
Application number: EP91311175A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Uri Barzani
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1990-12-28
Filing date: 1991-12-02
Publication date: 1995-03-22
Anticipated expiration: 2011-12-02
Also published as: CA2057451A1; DK0492819T3; IL96823A; ATE120097T1; DE69108370T2; IL96823A0; ES2070447T3; DE69108370D1; EP0492819A1

Abstract

A plastic link toy comprising a plurality of geometrically shaped elements (11, 15, 16) having a series of equally spaced slots (12, 15A, 17), formed by a series of equally spaced protrusions, having a thickness equal to the width of the slots; said elements being mounted on a solid base; so that when two of said slotted elements are placed next to each other having their respective slots facing in opposite directions, they can be linked to one another by having one set of protrusions penetrate the opposite slot cavities; and said linked elements can be swivelled around the axis (21), formed by said linked elements. <IMAGE>

Description

This invention relates to a plastic link to be used as a toy.
Several toys are known in the prior art involving linking together of different types of geometric elements to form differently shaped objects. One such toy is the series of building elements known as "LEGO" toys. These comprise a series of building elements linked together by a specifically shaped protrusion on one element to be inserted into a similarly shaped cavity in another element.
Other forms of linkage known in the prior art describe different attachment means between all kinds of shaped elements enabling children to form all sorts of imaginary multi-linked shapes.
U.S. Patent No. 4,874,341 describes a polygonal toy construction element having a substantially flat body, provided at its edge faces with a plurality of outwardly projecting connectors (fingers). These fingers are adapted to connect with corresponding projecting fingers of an edge face of another construction element in a snap-together lateral interlock by means of coupling a convex projection of one finger with a concave depression of the adjacent one. When coupled, the fingers permit hinging action between the connected elements on an axis parallel to the connected edge faces. A drawback of this toy is that a user may interconnect the construction elements only along their edges, and only when the fingers of one construction element are inserted completely between the fingers of another element and interlocked therewith.
WO Patent No. 86/04253 discloses a toy block comprising a body having on its side surfaces racks consisting of alternate projections and recesses of the same dimensions. Therefore, such blocks can be combined horizontally, vertically and at acute and obtuse angles with respect to the racks. However, these toys can be combined only by interconnecting at their edges (racks) and only provided that the relatively short projections of one rack fully penetrate between the identical projections of another rack.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a new kind of linkable slotted element, suitably made of rigid plastics material and enabling children to connect one linkable element to another at any portion of their surfaces and at various degrees of engagement therebetween, and to swivel them without their being locked to each other.
The plastic link toy of the present invention comprises at least one linkable block having a series of equally spaced gaps formed by a series of equally spaced protrusions mounted on a base element and having a thickness equal to the width of the gaps,
characterized in that said base element is shaped as a plate, said protrusions are shaped as elongated ribs having roughened side surfaces and projecting from said plate in such a manner that the ribs lie in planes parallel to each other and perpendicular to the plane of said plate, thus surrounding same and forming the three-dimensional slotted linkable block; so that when two of said three-dimensional slotted linkable blocks are placed next to each other having their respective gaps facing in opposite directions, they can be linked to one another by having one set of the ribs penetrate the opposite gap cavities, and be swivelled around the axis formed by said linked blocks; slippage of said linked blocks from one another being prevented by roughness of the side surfaces of said ribs.
In various embodiments of the present invention, the geometrical shape of said linkable block may be a sphere, a cube, a cylinder or a triangular prism; the ribs preferably having rounded corners.
According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the linkable blocks are mounted on a carrying means.
In accordance with the preferred embodiment, said carrying means is a ring, and six linkable blocks in the form of spheres are mounted on the ring.
The present invention will be further illustrated, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a cross-section of two spherical linkable blocks having slots;
Fig. 2 is a cross-section of two cube-shaped slotted linkable blocks;
Fig. 3 is a cross-section of a prism-shaped linkable block having slots; and
Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a pair of plastic link toys each comprising six spherical linkable slotted blocks mounted on a pair of carrier elements each in the form of a ring, said two toys being linked to each other.

Figs. 1, 2 and 3 illustrate different shapes of slotted linkable toys all having the same general features. Each spherical block 11 has a plurality of rigid ribs 12, joined together by a solid plate 13, and forming gaps 14. The side surfaces of the ribs 12 are roughened to improve the linkage and reduce slippage of the plastics material when two elements are joined together.
When two such spherical linkable blocks 11 are linked by entering the ribs 12 of one block into the gaps 14 of the opposite block, the two linked blocks can swivel around the axis formed by such linkage.
Fig. 2 illustrates two cube-shaped linkable blocks each having basically the same structure, comprising gaps 15A and ribs 15B.
Fig. 3 illustrates a prism-shaped linkable block 16 having gaps 17 and ribs 18 on the triangular front, and having child-safety rounded off apexes or corners.
It should be noted that these linkable blocks 11, 15, 16 can be connected to each other at any portion of their surfaces and even when the ribs of one block do not fully penetrate between the ribs of another block, which gives the user additional playing possibilities.
Fig. 4 illustrates a pair of toys, each comprising six slotted linkable blocks 11 mounted on a carrier ring 20, the toys being linked to each other by a pair of linked blocks, which can swivel around the axis 21 formed by the linkage.
While the invention has been described in detail with reference to the attached drawings, it should be appreciated that the invention can be carried out utilizing a large variety of shaped elements, mounted on a variety of carrying means. In all such arrangements the distinction is the form of linkage between the slotted three-dimensional linkable blocks and the ability to swivel around the axis formed by the linkage.

Claims

A plastic link toy comprising at least one linkable block (11, 15, 16) having a series of equally spaced gaps (12, 15A, 17) formed by a series of equally spaced protrusions (12, 15B, 18) mounted on a base element (13, 15C, 19) and having a thickness equal to the width of the gaps,
characterized in that said base element (13, 15C, 19) is shaped as a plate, said protrusions (12, 15B, 17) are shaped as elongated ribs having roughened side surfaces and projecting from said plate in such a manner that the ribs lie in planes parallel to each other and perpendicular to the plane of said plate, thus surrounding same and forming the three-dimensional slotted linkable block; so that when two of said three-dimensional slotted linkable blocks are placed next to each other having their respective gaps facing in opposite directions, they can be linked to one another by having one set of the ribs penetrate the opposite gap cavities, and be swivelled around the axis (21) formed by said linked blocks; slippage of said linked blocks from one another being prevented by roughness of the side surfaces of said ribs.
A plastic link toy as claimed in Claim 1, characterized in that the geometrical shape of said linkable block is a sphere, a cube, a cylinder or a triangular prism; the ribs preferably having rounded corners.
A plastic link toy as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a carrying means (13D, 15D, 20) is provided for mounting thereon at least one said linkable block.
A plastic link toy as claimed in Claim 3, characterized in that said carrying means is a ring, and in that said linkable blocks are in the form of spheres.
A plastic link toy as claimed in Claim 4, characterized in that the number of said linkable blocks is six.