GB2188956A

GB2188956A - A building block with electrical through connections

Info

Publication number: GB2188956A
Application number: GB08612207A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ping Pui Lau
Original assignee: KATABLE Co Ltd
Current assignee: KATABLE Co Ltd
Priority date: 1986-04-09
Filing date: 1986-05-20
Publication date: 1987-10-14
Anticipated expiration: 2006-05-20
Also published as: GB8608589D0; GB2188956B; GB8612207D0

Abstract

A building block engageable with other like building blocks to enable an upright structure to be built, includes electrically conductive means preferably providing an electrical contact 10 and each of a plurality of engaging elements 2 provided on two opposed faces of the block. On the arrangements described, the engaging elements are in the form of protrusion on a face (1a) and recesses (4, Fig. 1e) on a face (1b) of the block, the protrusions of one block being engageable with the recesses (4, Fig. 1e) of another block to provide both a mechanical and electrical connection therebetween. The electrical contacts 10 of a block are connected to form two sets of electrically connected contacts 10 to enable a power supply to be connected across the sets of contacts. The connection between the electrical contacts 10 is such that two like building blocks can be engaged in any arrangement allowed by the engaging elements without causing a short circuit. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A building block This invention relates to a building block.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a building block engageable with other like building blocks to enable an upright structure to be built, the building block including electrically conductive means providing at least two electrical contacts for enabling at least part of an electrical circuit to be formed by the engagement of two such like building blocks.

In a second aspect of the present invention provides a building block engageable with other like blocks, the building block being formed of an electrically insulating material and having first and second faces, each face being provided with a regular symmetrical matrix of engaging elements for engaging corresponding engaging elements of a like building block and each face also being provided with a regular symmetrical matrix of electrical contacts, each electrical contact on one of the said first and second faces being connected to a respective corresponding contact on the other of the said first and second faces, the respective electrical contacts on each face being electrically connected, there being two sets of electrically connected contacts on that face, the two sets being electrically isolated from one another and the electrical contacts forming the sets being so arranged as to enable at least part of an electrical circuit to be formed without any short circuit by the engagement of two or more like building blocks, regardless of the relative orientations of the blocks.

In a third aspect, the present invention provides a building block engageable with other like building blocks, the block being formed of an electrically insulating material and having first and second faces, each face being provided with a regular symmetrical matrix of engaging elements for engaging corresponding elements of a like building block and each face also being provided with a regular symmetrical matrix of electrical contacts, each electrical contact being provided on a respective engaging element and each electrical contact on one of the said first and second faces being connected to a respective corresponding contact of the other of the said first and second faces, the respective electrical contacts on each face not being electrically connected to any nearest neighbouring electrical contact on that face but being electrically connected to each next nearest neigbouring electrical contact on that face, whereby two sets of electrically connected contacts are provided, each set being electrically isolated from the other set to enable at least part of an electrical circuit to be formed by the engagement of two or more such like building blocks.

For a better understanding of the present invention, and to show how the same may be put into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1A is a side-elevational view of a building block in accordance with the invention suitable for having a battery; Figure 1B is a top plan view of the building block shown in Fig. 1A taken along the direction of the arrow 1 in Fig. 1A.

Figure 1C is an end view of the building block shown in Fig. 1A taken along the direction of arrow II in Fig. 1A; Figure 1D is an end view of the building block shown in Fig. 1A taken along the direction of arrow Ill in Fig. 1A; Figure 1E is a bottom plan view taken along the direction of arrow IV in Fig. 1A of the building block shown in Fig. 1 A; Figure 1F is a top plan view of a base plate of the building block shown in Fig. 1A; Figure 1G is an end view of the base plate showing a battery housing; Figure 1H is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A in Fig. 1G; Figure 2A is a side-elevational view of a further building block embodying the invention in the form of a substantially square building block;; Figure 2B is a top plan view of the building block shown in Fig. 2A taken along the direction of the arrow 1 in Fig. 2A; Figure 2C is an end view of the building block shown in Fig. 2A taken along the direction of the arrow II in Fig. 2A; Figure 2C is an end view of the building block shown in Fig. 2A taken along the direction of the arrow Ill in Fig. 2A; Figure 2D is a bottom plan view taken along the direction of arrow IV in Fig. 2A of the building block shown in Fig. 2A; Figure 3A is a side elevational view of a rectangular building block embodying the invention and having two engaging elements; Figures 3B, 3C, 3D and 3E are top plan, left hand end, right hand end and bottom plan views, respectively, of the building block of Fig. 3A; Figure 4A is a side-elevational view of a specially shaped building block embodying the invention;; Figures 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D and 4E are top plan, left hand end, right hand end and bottom plan views, respectively, of the building block shown in Fig. 4A; Figure 5 illustrates schematically the electrical connection of electrical contacts of a buiiding block embodying the invention; Figure 6A is a one side elevational view of a building block according to the present invention incorporating a light member; Figures 6B, 6C, 6D and 6E are other side elevational, right hand end, one side top left perspective and bottom plan views of the building block shown in Fig. 6A; and Figures 7A, 7B, 7C and 7D are alternative embodiments of the building blocks shown in Figs. 1B, 2B, 3B and 4B respectively.

Referring now to the drawings, a building block embodying the invention is formed of an electrically insulating material, preferably by injection moulding from a plastics material. The building block may be hollow or solid.

As shown in Figs. 1 to 4, a building block in accordance with the invention comprises a base 1 which may be of any suitable shape but is preferably right parallelepipedal. The base 1 is provided with engaging elements 2 in the form of protrusions 3 on a first face la of the base and recesses 4 on a second face 1 b of the base opposed to the first face for engaging corresponding engaging elements on the building blocks. The engaging elements on each face 1a and 1b are arranged in a regular symmetrical areas, in the arrangement shown a square matrix. Each recess 4 is defined by four protrusions 6 or one or more protrusions 6 and a lip 1'b of the face 1b, the protrusions 6 extending form the face 1 b of the base 1.

Although each protrusion 3, 6 may be a rightcircular cylindrical protrusion, it is preferred that only protrusions 6, forming face 16 of the base 1 are right circular cylindrical protrusions. As shown in Fig. 7, it is preferred that the protrusions 3 forming the engaging elements 2 are in the form of four small rightcircular cylindrical protrusions 40, arranged in a square matrix, the diagonal of which is preferably smaller than the diameter of the cylindrical protrusions 3 shown in Figs. 1 to 4. In one embodiment the interfaces of the four cylindrical protrusions 40 are fused together.

The advantage of this preferred embodiment is that wires 9 may be rested in the grooves formed between the cylindrical protrusions 40, to maintain the wire 9 in position.

In a preferred arrangement, the base 1 has a thickness of 3.8mm, the face 1b having a peripheral lip 1'b of 1.41 to 1.45 mm width.

Each protrusion 3 preferably has a height of 2.00 to 2.04 mm and a cross-sectional diameter of 4.98mm, the centres of adjacent protrusions 5 being 7.98 to 8.02mm apart.

Each protrusion 6 is preferably of 2.6mm diameter and the centres of adjacent protrusions 6 are preferably 3.9 to 4.02 mm from the centre of the corresponding protrusion 3 on the face 1a of the block, so that each recess 4 can receive a corresponding protrusion 3 of a like building block to enable a structure to be built up by connecting the blocks.

Four equilangularly spaced, preferably 0.8 mm diameter, circular apertures 7 are positioned around the periphery of each protrusion 3 on a circle of diameter 5.78mm while a further aperture 8 preferably 0.8mm in diameter extends through the centre of each protrusion 3. The apertures 7 and 8 extend right through the building block from the face 1a to the face 1 b.

Electrically conductive wire or strip 9 preferably of 0.3 mm thickness is passed through the apertures 7 and 8 so that an electrical contact 10 is provided on an end face of each protrusion 3 and at the bottom of each recess 4. The electrically conductive wire is arranged such that the electrical contacts 10 on each protrusion 3 is directly electrially connected to the electrical contact below that protrusion.

The electrical contacts 10 on the protrusions 3 are connected together in a predetermined manner to form two sets of electrically connected electrical contacts, the electrical contacts in each set being electrically connected to one another but isolated from the other set. The electrical contacts 10 of the recesses 4 are connected in the same manner by virtue of other connection with the electrical contacts of the corresponding protrusions 5. Each electrical contact 10 on the face 1a is electrically isolated from (that is, not electrically connected to) each of the electrical contacts 10 on that face closest to that electrical contact but is electrically connected to the at least one of the neighbouring electrical contacts on that face next closest to the electrical contact after the closest neighbouring electrical contact.

Fig. 5 is a schematic top plan view of the face la of a building block embodying the invention, the face 1a of the building block being provided with eight engaging elements 2 in the form of protrusions 3a to 3b.

As shown in Fig. 5, two wires 11 and 12 are used to form the contacts 10 and the electrical connections between the contacts 10. Starting from the bottom right hand corner of Fig. 5, the wire 11 is secured in the central aperture 8 of the protrusion 3h then passes over the face 1 b (as indicated by the dashed line) up through the lower left hand aperture 7 of the protrusion 3h, diagonally across the top of the protrusions 3h, diagonally across the face 1 b, up through the central aperture 8, across the top of the protrusion 3h, down through the lower right hand aperture 7 of the protrusion 3h, and up through the upper right hand aperture 7 of the protrusion 3h, and then up through the upper right hand aperture 7 of the protrusion 3h, so forming the electrical contact 10h on the protrusion 3h and the electrical contact 10'h in the corresponding recess 4 on the underneath face Ib. The wire then travels across the face 1a and up through the lower right hand aperture 7 of the protrusion 3. The procedure described above for the protrusion 3h is repeated, in a somewhat modified fashion, to provide the electrical contact 10e for the protrusion 3e (as indicated by the solid line) and the electrical contact 10'e for the corresponding recess 4. As can clearly be seen from Fig.

5, an electrical contact 10b thus provided for each protrusion 3 is electrically connected not to its closest neighbours but to its next closest neighbours. Thus, the wire 11 connects the protrusions 3a, 3d, 3f and 39.

As indicated in Figs. 1A to 1E and 5, the electrical contacts 10 of the protrusions 3a and 3b and corresponding recesses may be provided with terminal connections 13 for enabling a battery and other suitable electrical power supply to be connected across the wires 11 and 12.

As shown in Figs. 1A to 1G, a special type of building block is provided for housing a battery. As shown, the building block is hollow, having a cover forming the face 1 a and four side walls 14 of the building block and a base plate 15. A rectangular aperture 17 is cut into each of two major side walls 14a of the battery block. A battery housing in the form of a rectangular frame 16 is mounted to the base plate 15 so that when the cover and base plate engage one another as shown in Fig. 1A, a respective side wall 16a of the frame 16 are received each aperture 17.An upper face 15a of the base plate and a bridging member 18 of the frame 16 may be provided with protrusions 3 while the lower face 15b of the base plate may be provided, as shown in Fig. 1E with recesses 4 for engaging protrusions 3 so that the building block can be mounted on other building blocks. The lower or inside face 1 b of the cover may or may not be provided with recess 4 but in any case will of necessity be provided with the electrical contacts 10, although these are not intended for use.

Figs. 1F and 1G illustrate more clearly the base plate 15 and battery carrying frame 16.

As shown, three batteries 19 are mounted within the frame so as to be electrically connected between electrical contacts 20 provided on the inner surface 16'a of the side walls 16a of the frame 16. To ensure good contact each electrical contact 20 is provided by a "crisscross" arrangement of wires and a spring 20a is provided to maintain engagement between the batteries 19 and contacts 20.

Thus, as shown in Figs. 1F and 1G, four apertures 21 are provided through the bridging member 18 and four corresponding apertures 22 are provided through the bottom face 16b of the frame and the base plate 15. Wire is threaded through the apertures to form a cross-shaped contact 20 as shown in Fig. 1H which is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A in Fig. 1G of the battery frame 16 with the batteries removed.

As shown most clearly in Fig. 1F, the wire forming the contacts 20 extend over the top of the bridging member 18 to form the terminal connections 13. Thus, when the base plate 15 is brought into engagement with the cover as shown in Fig. 1A, the terminal connections 13 connect the positie and negative power supply lines from the battery to the electrical contacts 10a and 10b, respectively, so that the wire 11 is connected to the positive battery supply and the wire 12 is connected to the negative battery supply.

Preferably, the building block shown in Figs.

1A to 1H has an overall width of from 15.82 to 15.90mm and a length of from 31.82 to 31.90 mm, the base plate 15 having a thickness of 1.80 to 1.88 mm and the apertures 17 and side walls 16a having a width of 7.98 to 8.02 mm and a height of 10.02 to 10.08mm, the overall height of the block, excluding the protrusions 3, being 15.62mm to 15.84mm.

Figs. 2A to 2E show a relatively flat square building block embodying the invention having four protrusions 3 and corresponding recesses while Figs. 3A to 3E show a similar block having two protrusions 3 and corresponding recesses. The building block shown in Fig. 2 preferably has a base thickness of from 3.80 to 3.88mm and a side length of from 15.8 mm to 15.92 mm. The block shown in Fig. 3 is of similar dimensions to the block shown in Fig. 2 except that the width thereof is half the length of the block. Fig. 4 shows an irregularly shaped large flat blockl carrying a plurality of protrusions 3 and corresponding recesses 4.

Figs. 6A to 6E show differing views of a building block 23 according to the present invention upon which is integrally mounted a light member 24, the totality 23, and 24 being fashioned to resemble a weapon.

The block 23 is of generally rectangular shape. Contained in the base of the building block 23 is an aperture 25 adapted to fit over two protrusions 3 arranged in linear fashion, as shown in any of the drawings 1 to 5.

Within the recess 25 are contained two electrical contacts 26, 27 arranged as hereinbefore described (contacts 10' as shown in Figs.

1 to 5). Leading from each electrical connection 26, 27 is a wire (not shown), each wire leading to a terminal of the light 28 contained in the light member 24, thus forming an electrical loop leading from the connection 26 through the light 28 and to the connection 27.

The block 23 is provided with ornamental annular projections 29, which enhance the appearance of the combined block 23 and light member 24 as a futuristic weapon. The light member 24 is pivotally mounted upon building block 23 by means of pivot 30. The wires leading from the electrical connections 26 and 27 extend through an annular connection ring 31 which is continguous with the block, the wires leading into the light member by means of a hole in the base of the light member 24 (hole not shown). The light member 24 is a generally rectangular block, having a light 28 extending from one end. The light 28 is preferably a light emitting diode (LED).

Upon the sides of the light attachment 24 are annular projections 29, cylindrical projections 34, and rectangular projections 35, as well as a series of rectangular recesses 36. All these projections and recesses exist merely to enhance the appearance of the light member 24 as a futuristic weapon. To further enhance the appearance of the light member 24 as a futuristic weapon, a stalk 37 projects from one side of the light member upon the end of which stalk 37 is affixed an annular ring 38, fashioned to look like a gun-sight.

When the block 23 is affixed to the building blocks, as hereinbefore described and shown in Figs. 1 to 5, if the blocks are electrically connected to a power source, current will flow from one of the projections 3 upon which the the block 23 is affixed, through one of the connections 26, 27 through the light 28 thus causing the light 28 to be illuminated and back into the building block 23 and through electrical connection 27, into the other projection 3 upon which the block 23 is affixed. In this way, the light 28 may give the appearance of a flash emitting from the muzzle of a weapon. It should be noted that it is a further embodiment of this block 22 and light member 24 to provide an intermittant switch within the light member 24, which causes the light 28 to flash on and off when current was flowing through the light member.

It should, of course, be appreciated that the block can be formed in any suitable dimensions. Preferably, for ease of construction, the building blocks are right parallelepiped in shape but any other suitable shape may be used. Although the building blocks shown in Figs. 2 to 4 are relatively flat, similar thicker building blocks may be provided of dimensions, for example, similar to the battery carrying building block shown in Fig. 1. Also, the building blocks may be used in construction with other similar building blocks which do not carry electrically conductie means.

In order to contruct a structure with the battery blocks, the protrusions 6 of one block are brought into engagement with the recesses 4 of another block and structures resembling, for example, brick walls and buildings formed from such walls as well as other structures may be constructed. If the battery carrying block is connected in the construction or a suitable electrical power supply is in any other way connected across the wires 11 and 12 of a building block in a construction, power may be supplied through the electriclly conductive means of the building blocks to electric lights, motors etc mounted in the structure.The electrical connected of the contacts 10 on each building block so that, in the arrangement shown, each contact is electrically connected to at least one next nearest neighbour but not to any of its closest neighbouring contacts, means that the building blocks can be connected together in any oriantation in which protrusions 3 and recesses 4 all engage without causing a short circuit.

Preferably, to ensure good electrical connection between blocks, the larger diagonal wire sections 10" (Fig. 5) at least of the electrical contacts 10 provided on the protrusions 3 are raised up above the end surfaces of the protrusions 3 by about 0.7 to 0.8 mm.

Although in the arrangement shown the protrusions 3 and recesses 4 are arranged in rectangular arrays, any type of array may be used although preferably the array should be a symmetrical regular array so as not to limit the number of different relative orientations in which the building blocks can be connected together.

Claims

1. A building block engageable with other like building blocks to enable an upright structure to be built, the building block including electrically conductive means providing at least two electrical contacts for enabling at least part of an electrical circuit to be formed by the engagement of two such like building blocks.

2. A building block according to Claim 1, wherein the electricaly conductive means connect electrical contacts on two different faces of the building block.

3. A building block according to Claim 2, wherein the two faces are opposed faces of the block.

4. A building block according to Claim 2 or 3, wherein the two faces comprise two major faces of the building block.

5. A building block according to Claim 2, 3 or 4, wherein three or more electrical contacts are provided on each face and the electrical contacts on each face are connected to one another by the electrically conductive means to form at least two sets of electrically connected electrical contacts on each face, the sets being electrically isolated from one another.

6. A building block according to Claim 5, wherein the electrical contacts on each face are electrically connected such that each electrical contact is not electrically connected to the or any closest neighbouring contact on that face but is electrically connected to at least one other electrical contact on that face.

7. A building block according to Claim 6, wherein each electrical contact is connected to the or at least on of the electrical contacts on the same face next closest thereto after the closest neighbouring electrical contact(s).

8. A building block according to any one of Claims 2 to 7, wherein the electrical contacts on each face are arranged in an array on that face.

9. A building block according to Claim 8, wherein the electrical contacts on each face are arranged in a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns on that face.

10. A building block according to Claim 9, wherein the rows and columns are mutually perpendicular.

11. A building block according to Claim 6, wherein the electrical contacts are arranged in a symmetrical square pattern on each face and each electrical contact is electrically connected to the or at least one of the other electrical contacts which lies on the same line of symmetry.

12. A building block according to any one of Claims 2 to 11, wherein each electrical contact on one of the said two faces is electrically connected to a corresponding electrical contact on the other of the said two faces.

13. A building block according to any preceding claim, wherein the building block has a plurality of engaging elements for engaging corresponding engaging elements like blocks.

14. A building block according to Claim 13, wherein at least one engaging element has an electrical contact associated therewith so that when two like blocks are engaged, electrical connection is formed therebetween.

15. A building block according to any one of Claims 2 to 12, wherein each of the said two faces is provided with a plurality of engaging elements for engaging corresponding engaging elements of the blocks and each electrical contact is associated with a respective engaging element.

16. A building block according to Claim 15, wherein each engaging element is provided with an electrical contact.

17. A building block according to any one of Claims 13 to 16, wherein each engaging element comprises a protrusion or a recess.

18. A building block according to Claims 15 to 16, wherein one of the said two faces is provided with engaging elements in the form of recesses and the other of the said two faces is provided with engaging elements in the form of protrusions.

19. A building block according to Claims 17 or 18, whereinthe or each recess is defined by a wall formed at least in port by one or more protrusions.

20. A building block according to Claims 17, 18 or 19, wherein the or each protrusion comprises a right circular cylindrical protrusion.

21. A building block according to Claim 20, wherein the or each protrusion comprises four right circular cylindrical protrusions, arranged symmetrically.

22. A building block according to Claim 21, wherein the four protrusions are fused at their interfaces.

23. A building block according to any preceding claim, wherein the electrically conductive means and electrical contacts are formed by electrically conductive wire or strip.

24. A building block according to any preceding claim, wherein the building block is formed of a plastics material.

25. A building block engageable with other like blocks, the building block being formed of an electrically insulating material and having first and second faces, each face being provided with a regular symmetrical matrix of engagin elements for engaging corresponding engaging elements of a like building block and each face also being provided with a regular symmetrical matrix of electrical contacts, each electrical contact on one of the said first and second faces being connected to a respective corresponding contact on the other of the said first and second faces, the respective electrical contacts on each face being electrically connected, there being two sets of electricaly connected contacts on that face, the two sets being electrically isolated from one another and the electrical contacts forming the sets being so arranged as to enable at least part of an electrical circuit to be formed without any short circuit by the engagement of two or more like building blocks, regardless of the relative orientations of the blocks.

26. A building block engageable with other like building blocks, the block being formed of an electrically insulating material and having first and second faces, each face being provided with a regular symmetrical matrix of egaging elements for engaging corresponding elements of a like building block and each face also being provided with a regular symmetrical matrix of electrical contacts, each electrical contact being provided on a respective engaging element and each electrical contact on one of the said first and second faces being connected to a respective corresponding contact on the other of the said first and second faces, the respective electrical contacts on each face not being electrically connected to any nearest neighbouring electrical contact on that face but being electrically connected to each next nearest neighbouring electrical contact on that face, whereby two sets of electrically connected contacts are provided, each set being electrically isolated from the other set to enable at least part of an electrical circuit to be formed by the engagement of two or more such like building blocks.

27. A building block according to Claim 25 or 26, wherein the matrix of engaging elements and the matrix of electrical contacts are both square matrices.

28. A building block according to Claim 25, 26 or 27, wherein each engaging element is provided with an electrical contact.

29. A building block according to Claim 25, 26, 27 or 28, wherein each engaging element comprises a recess or a protrusion.

30. A building block according to Claim 29, wherein one of the said first and second faces has an engaging elements in the form of protrusions and the other of the first and second faces has engaging elements in the form of recesses.

31. A building block according to Claim 29 or 30, wherein each recess is defined by a boundary of protrusions.

32. A building block according to Claim 29, 30 or 31, wherein each protrusion is a right circular cylindrical protrusion.

33. A building block according to a