GB1567389A - Educational toy - Google Patents

Description

(54) EDUCATIONAL TOY (71) We, MOTLEY MANUFACTURING AGENCIES PTY. LTD., a company incorporated under the laws of the State of South Australia, whose registered office is at 68, Greenhill Road, Wayville, State of South Australia, Commonwealth of Australia (formerly of 44 Pirie Street, Adelaide, State of South Australia, Commonwealth of Australia) do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to an educational toy, and more particularly to a toy in the form of a construction kit whereby the various elements co-operate to fit together to form a desired structure.

With educational toys one of the objects is to provide a toy which will stimulate the imagination of the child in playing with the toy and to for example use the initiative and imagination of the child in forming and direct ing forms and structures from the various components of the toy which could be in kit form.

The various portions of the toy in kit form should be easily fitted together and yet be such that they remain in position once fitted together.

In devising this invention it is felt that while these toys can comprise in their kit a large number of differing shapes or constructional elements, further imagination and thought is stimulated if the kit or various features of the toy can comprise a minimum of differing constructional features and it is this advantage that the present invention may provide.

According to the present invention there is provided an educational toy comprising at least a pair of blocks each having at least one slot in each of a plurality of faces of said block, each block including four tubes of equal size each of square transverse section connected together in parallel, laterally-aligned relation by a joiner member of cross-shape in transverse section, said joiner member having four legs of equal size and having a tube positioned in each quadrant of said joiner member, each tube extending laterally beyond the free ends of the associated legs of the joiner member forming the quadrant whereby said legs determine the spacing between the tubes to form said slots and also determine the depth of said slots, and at least one strip dimensioned to be snugly received in the slots, the or each strip being flexible and such that, when a strip interconnects two blocks by being received in slots in said two blocks which slots are non planar, the strips are deflected and stressed to lock in said slots.

The toy may further comprise at least one connector member formed by a pair of parallel plates joined by an intermediate spacer attached to opposed faces of said plates, each plate having attached thereto, to protrude at right-angles therefrom, a half-width strip, said half-width strips being in a common plane and adapted to be inserted in the slots of the blocks.

In a preferred embodiment the joiner member of each block is shorter than the four tubes thereof whereby intersecting end slots are formed in each end of each block, the toy further comprising at least one connector piece of cross-shape in transverse section adapted to fit into the end slots of the blocks to enable two blocks to be connected together in end to end relation.

By way of example only, the invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings of which: Figure 1 is an end view of a block; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the block of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a perspective view of a block of lesser length than the block of Figures 1 and 2; Figure 4 is a side view of a connector; Figure 5 is an end view of a connector; Figures 6 and 7 are perspective view of two alternative strips; Figure 8 is a view of a star shaped connector, and Figure 9 is an exploded view of a wheel and stub axle.

As shown in Figures i to 3, the block 1 which for convenience will be called a block even though it may not be of solid form comprises four rectangular tubes 2 joined by a solid cross-shaped joiner member 3.

The tubes 2 are spaced from each other an equal distance to form slots 5, these being of a width so that strips 4 can be snugly received therein. The strips are of rectangular shape in cross-section with the smaller dimension being received into the slot 5, while the slot 5 has a depth equal to half the larger dimension of the cross-section. Thus the crossshapedjoiner member 3 extends half-way across the tubes 2.

The ends of the joiner member 3 do not extend to the ends of the block 1, but are spaced from the ends by a distance equal to half the width of the tubes 2.

The strips 4 are thus dimensioned to fit snugly into the slots 5, and it will be seen that, with a plurality of block and strips, a variety of shapes and constructions can be formed.

It is important to note that the strips are also flexible so that curved shapes can be formed by, for example, inserting two strips into opposite slots on a block, and bending the strips to enter opposite sides in a further block so that each strip is bent to a virtual semi-circular shape.

Also in this respect it is noted that, if the two strips are inserted endwise into two adjacent slots in a further block, each strip is curved and an ellipsoidal shape can be formed.

Figures 4 and 5 show a connector member 6 including two plate members 7 joined by an intermediate spacer 8, each plate having a central half-width strip 9 attached thereto and protruding at right-angles therefrom.

The plates 7 have a dimension equal to the cross-section of the blocks 1, while the half strips 9 are each of the width of the strips 4 but are each of a depth to be inserted into a slot 5 with plate 7 abutting or substantially abutting the sides or the end faces of the tubes 2.

Figure 8 shows a cross-shaped connector piece 10 of the same size as the joiner member 3, but used for connecting blocks 1 end to end.

The length of the connector piece 10 is preferably equal to twice the depth of the slots 5, so that when used the blocks 1 can abut each other.

As shown in exploded form, Figure 9 shows a stub axle 11 and wheel 12, the axle 11 having a flange 13 to which is joined a bearing portion 14. The bearing portion 14 terminates in a diametrical blade 15 which is dimensioned to fit into a slot 5.

The wheel 12 has a central opening 16 which receives the bearing portion 14, and also a recess 17 to receive the flange, so that, when assembled with the axle 11 in position, the outer edge of the flange is virtually flush with the wheel 12.

The axle 11 is thus only a stub axle in effect, and can be inserted into any slot as desired, either along the sides or across the ends of the block.

Preferably the wheel is dimensioned such that it has a diameter in excess of the width of the block so that the block is supported above the surface on which the wheel is resting.

The elongated resilient strips can be formed of any suitable material and this can be one of the suitable plastics materials such as high impact polystyrene or polypropylene. The blocks can be formed of any suitable material such as one of the rigid plastics material or if desired any of the foam plastics, whether of solid or cored section or even wood.

The blocks and connections and strips can be moulded or, if desired, the blocks can be extruded with the joiner member cut away at the ends to form the end slots.

The blocks can be as described above or the side faces may have a further slot therein intersecting the illustrated slot so that each of the faces has a pair of intersecting slots.

As noted above, the slots and strips are so dimensioned that the slots will easily receive the end of a strip and, in order to connect a pair of blocks, a pair of strips may be used with the strips being bent so that the stresses imposed in the bent strips tend to deform the strip where by the ends of the strips are at an angle to the respective slots and are securely held therein by co-operation with the adjacent surfaces of the associated tubes. For example, if the ends of the two connecting strips are inserted into the slots in adjacent sides of one block and the other ends are similarly inserted in the slots of another block, the strips are bent and deformed in the general shape of an arc. If the strips, instead of being inserted in the slots in adjacent faces, are inserted in the slots in opposite faces of respective blocks, then the strips would each be deformed into generally semi-circular shapes.

If for example one block has the two strips inserted into the slots in adjacent faces and the other block has the two strips inserted into the slots in opposite faces, a generally heart-shaped structure can be formed.

By suitable positioning of the slots, structures of various three dimensional shapes can be formed.

Although various forms of the invention have been described in some detail it is to be realised that various alterations and alternatives may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the

Claims (5)

appended claims. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. An educational toy comprising at least a pair of blocks each having at least one slot in each of a plurality of faces of said block, each block including four tubes of equal size each of square transverse section connected together in parallel, laterally-aligned relation by a joiner member of cross-shape in transverse section, said joiner member having four legs of equal size and having a tube positioned in each quadrant of said joiner member, each tube extending laterally beyond the free ends of the associated legs of the joiner member forming the quadrant whereby said legs determine the spacing between the tubes to form said slots and also determine the depth of said slots, and at least one strip dimensioned to be snugly received in the slots, the or each strip being flexible and such that, when a strip interconnects two blocks by being received in slots in said two blocks which slots are non planar, the strips are deflected and stressed to lock in said slots.

2. An educational toy as claimed in claim 1 and further comprising at least one connector member formed by a pair of parallel plates joined by an intermediate spacer attached to opposed faces of said plates, each plate having attached thereto, to protrude at right-angles therefrom, a half-width strip, said half-width strips being in a common plane and adapted to be inserted in the slots of the blocks.

3. An educational toy as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 in which the joiner member of each block is shorter than the four tubes thereof whereby intersecting end slots are formed in each end of each block, the toy further com prising at least one connector piece of cross shape in transverse section adapted to fit into the end slots of the blocks to enable two blocks to be connected together in end to end relation.

4. An educational toy as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 and including a wheel and axle assembly, the axle being a stub-axle with a flange at one end and at the other end a diametrical blade adapted to be inserted into, to be retained in, a slot in a block, the blade being spaced from the flange to allow the wheel to rotate therebetween.

5. An educational toy substantially as described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.