GB2438837A

GB2438837A - Interlocking toy bricks

Info

Publication number: GB2438837A
Application number: GB0611087A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Rabah Aggar; Smail Aggar
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-06-06
Filing date: 2006-06-06
Publication date: 2007-12-12
Also published as: EP2024047B1; GB0710167D0; WO2007141477A1; DE602007003349D1; EP2024047A1; GB0611087D0; GB2438948A; ES2336507T3; WO2007141477B1; CA2654366A1; ATE448845T1; US20090186553A1

Abstract

Interlocking toy bricks comprise a base 12 with projections or tongues 14 and matching grooves or holes 15. The upper surface of the brick 11 is connected to the base by a neck formed by an annular recess 13. The uppers surfaces fit closely together, hiding the bases. The upper surfaces may be formed into a variety of shapes.

Description

I

Improvement in interlocking toy bricks The present invention relates to improvements in toy bricks or blocks in particular of artistic and educational type, in which a plurality of brick elements made of a variety of different colors and variety of different shapes are releasably interlocked between each other by means of tongues and grooves to produce a great variety of precise and coherent patterns or designs of extremely fine details.

An example of such known building or interlocking blocks or bricks are those in -European -patent specification -rP-0766585 -in which the building elements can be clicked and assembled with identical elements to form patterns. According to the descnption made, it is impossible in practice as described on the abovementioned patent to get such brick elements made of ABS or polystyrene to dick a forth brick with three already assembled to form a square and this no matter how shaped and how small the tonguesand grooves are. The only way to assemble a forth brick with three already assembled to form a square is only by sliding the forth element from above.

-While such a building element can build up a variety of patterns, its versatility,or ability to build up with other shaped bricks, is somewhat limited.

However, it is an object of the present invention to provide with interlocking bricks which are even more versatile than the building elements of the European patent application rO766585.

Accordingly, this invention provides a plurality of interlocking brick elements provided -in -a variety of different -colors and different shapes -to be interlocked between each other to form precise and coherent patterns of extreme details.

Each brick include an upper part, a lower part and an annular recess which is positioned between the upper and the lower parts and which surrounds the longitudinal height of the brick. The upper part of the brick is formed of a regular circle, pOlygonal or partly spherical shape; the lower part of the brick is formed of circular or polygonal shapes and has on its longitudinal height at least one tongue -and -at least -one corfesponding longitudtnel groove,and these tongues -and corresponding grooves are shaped and configured so that tongues and grooves can slide between each other to be releasably interlocked.

The clearance provided by the annular recess within the brick elements enables the tongues to engage through and slide into corresponding grooves of other already assembled bricks to form a variety of coherent patterns with tongues and grooves hidden by the upper part of the brick elements. Preferably the toy bricks 35-are -made of -rigid -plastic -material such -as ABS or polystyrene -provided in -a variety of different colors.

The advantageous offered by this invention are mainly: a) All interlocking bricks, require no other means, such as glue, magnets or base plates, to be assembled and are very simple and easy to use.

b) Artistic toy set with assemblies that has high educational and entertainment value which can be used by large group of people at one time, with small groups making subassemblies which can be joined together to form very large final pattern where the size an design of the pattern is only limited by the desire and imagination of the users where the patterns created can stood on a surface or can be hung on a wall as decorative and artistic work of art. -Other advantages, objects and novel features of the present invention will become more apparent with the following description and the added drawings in which: FIG.1 is a front perspective view at an enlarged scale of a brick element of the present invention.

FIG.2 is a front perspective view at an enlarged scale of another alternative brick element of FIG.1.

FIG.3 isa bottom perspective view of the brick element of FIG.1.

FIG.4. is a front view of two brick elements of FIG.1 assembling between each other from above.

FIG.5 is a perspective top view of another brick element of the present invention.

FIG.5.A is a perspective top view of another brick element of the present invention.

FIG.6 is a top perspective view of another brick element of the present invention.

FIG.6.A is a top perspective view of another brick element of the present invention.

FIG.7 is a top perspective view of another alternative of the brick element of FIG.1.

FIG.8 is a top perspective view of a peg according to the present invention.

FIG.9 is a top perspective view of a base element used to assemble with the peg element of FIG.8 according to the present invention.

FIG.1 0 is a top perspective view of another alternative of base element of FIG.9 FIG.1 I is a bottom perspective view of another brick element of the present invention.

FIG.12 is a bottom perspective view of a tongue element to be connected to the bottom of the brick element of FIG.11.

FIG.13 is a top view of a small pattern created by assembling peg elements of FIG.8 with base elements of FIG.9.

FIG.14 is a top view of a small pattern created by assembling peg elements of FIG.8 with base elements of FIG.10.

FIG.15 shows three brick elements of FIG.1 interlocked between each other.

Fig.16 shows a combination of few brick elements of different shapes assembled between each other.

Referring now to the drawings, FIG.1 shows a perspective top view at an enlarged scale of the interlocking brick element 10 according to the present invention in which the brick 10 is formed with an upper part 11, lower part 12 and an annular recess 13 which is positioned between the upper part 11 and the lower part 12 and which surrounds the middle part of the longitudinal height of the brick 10. The diameters of the upper part 11 and lower part 12 are equal in size. The top of the upper part 11 shows a regular circular shape.The lower part 12 has on its perip-hery two adjacent tongues 14 and two corresponding adjacent grooves 1 5.The tongues 14 and the grooves 15 extend along the edge of the longitudinal height of the lower part 12, and these tonguesl4 and grooves 15 are shaped and configured so that they can slide from above into each other, as shown in FIG.4, and be releasably interlocked. The tongues 14 as well as grooves 15 can be positioned to be adjacent or to be opposite to each other and can be positioned to be in different angular positions between each other. The recess 13 has a height slightly bigger than the height of the tonguesl 4 and has a depth slightly bigger than the width of the tongues 14, as shown in FIG.4, to allow enough space for the tongues 14 to engage in the recess 13 and frictionally slide into the corresponding groovel5.

With this proposed version of brick element, no matter how big or how small the tongues and grooves are, these are always hidden by the upper part of the brick elements and the final built pattern is always precise, coherent and well detailed.

The big advntage of having The annular recess 13 formed in The brick elernantg is that it allows not only to slide from above a forth brick with three already assembled to fomi a sqtare as shown i-n FIG.15 but it allows as well to-add-a brick element to f41 a gap 64 between two other brick elements as shown in the small pattern of FIG.16.

This above advantage provides with a brick element having possibilities to be connected with other brick elements already assembled, no matter the positions in which these are already assembled.

FIG:2 shows a perspective top view at an enlarged scale of another brick element 20 according to the present invention in which the upper part 21 can be formed with a polygonal shape which -can be hexagonal -or square. In the case of the brick-element of FIG.2, the upper part 21 shows a regular square and the lower part 12 is similar to the lower part 12 of the brick element 10 of FIG.1. The length of the side of the square is equal to the diameter of the lower part 12 to allow a construction of coherent patterns without openings between the brick elements.

The shapes of the upper parts and lower parts Of the brick elements of the present invention can be formed to be both circular, both polygonal or they can be formed from a combination of both circular and polygonal shapes. As weH as circular and polygonal shapes the upper part can be formed to be of partly spherical shape.

The top of the upper part of the brick elements of the present invention may contain representation of letters or symbols for educational and teaching purposes.

FIG.3 shows a perspective bottom view of the brick element of FIG.1, from which we can see the tongues 14 and corresponding grooves 15 extend along the longitudinal height of the lower part 12. In FIG.3, the tongues 14 as well as the corresponding grooves 15 -are -represented -to be -adjacent to -each other but -they can -be positioned to be opposite to each other as well. As shown on FIG.3, the bottom side of the lower part 12 includes a recess 16 which could be made for bigger brick elements to make the brick elements hollow.

FIG.4 shows a front view of two brick elements of FIG.1 or FIG.2 to be interlocked between each other. From FIG.4 we can see how the tongue 14 of one brick element is engaged in the recess 13 and slide in the corresponding groove 15 of another brick element FIG.5 and FIG.5.a show a perspective top view at an enlarged scale of other brick elements 30 and 40 with triangular shapes obtained as by splitting the brick element of FIG.2 vertically through its diagonal line. The only difference between the brick element 30 and brick element 40 is that lower part 32 of brick element 30 is formed with two adjacent tongues 14 whereas The lower part 33 of the brick element 40 is formed with two adjacent corresponding grooves 15.

FFG6 -and Fl-G6.-a show -a top perspecthie view at -an -enlarged scale of-other brick elements 50 and 60 with semi circular shapes obtained as by splitting the brick element 10 of FIG.1 vertically through its diagonal line. The lower part 52 of the brick element 50 is formed with only one tongue 14 positioned in the middle of the straight side of the lower part 52. The lower part 62 of the brick element 60 is formed with only one groovel 5 positioned in the middle of the straight side of the lower part 62.

FIG.7 shows a perspective top view at an enlarged scale of another atternative of brick element 10 of FIG.1 in which a cylindrical portion 71 protruding up from the center of the top side of the upper part 11 of the brick element 70 and a correspo-ndirig cylindrical recess 16 protruding in the center of the bottom side of the lower part 12 of the brick element 70 of FIG.7. The brick elements 70 can be assembled between each other through the tongues 14 and corresponding grooves 15 as well as through the corresponding cylindrical protruding portion 16 and 71 to provide with a two or three dimensional patterns or designs.

FJG.8 shows a top perspective view at an enlarged scale of a peg 80 according to the present invention in which the peg 80 is formed with an upper part 11 similar to the upper part of the brick element of FIG.1. The lower part of the peg 80 is formed with a tapered stem 81 which is made to frictionally fit in the recess 91 of FIGS.9 andlO to provide with brick elements similar to the brick element 10 of FIG.1.

FIG.9 shows a perspective top view at an enlarged scale of a base support element which could be made of circular or polygonal shape. The base support 90 is provided with at least one tongue 14 and one corresponding groove 15 that extend along the longitudinal height of base element 90. The center of the upper side of the base element 90 is formed with a recess 91 protruding through which is used to receive and firmly retain the peg element 80 to create a brick element similar to the one shown in FIG. 1. The tongues 14 as well as the grooves 15 of the base element are spaced apart by angles of 90 DEG which allows the creation of patterns with rows shown in FIG. 13 where the rows are mounted one above the other without displacement between the rows.

FIG.10 shows another base support element 100 similar to the one of FIG.9 in which the tongues 14 as well as the corresponding grooves 15 are spaced by angles of 135 DEG which allows the creation of patterns with rows shown in FIG.14 where the rows are displaced when built one above the other.

The upper part of the pegs 80 are made of circular, hexagonal or partly spherical shapes.

The base support elements 90 and 100 could be made of transparent plastic material and can be formed of circuJar or polygonal shapes.

FIG.1 1 shows a top perspective view of another alternative of the brick element 10 of FIG.1 in which the brick element 200 is provided with an upper part 11 and recess 13 similar to the ones of the brick element 10 of FIG.1.The lower part 210 is provided with three adjacent grooves 15 and one corresponding tongue 14 which are formed along the edge of the longitudinal height of the lower part 210.

The bottom side of the lower part 210 is formed with a cylindrical recess 220 which is provided with an opening 230 along one part of the peripheral bottom edge thereof.

The connecting element 300 of FIG.12 is shaped and configured to be connected and fit into the recess 220 and which is formed with one tongue 17 integrally connected to the cylindrical portion 19 by a stem I 8.Once the connecting element 300 is connected to the brick element 200, the tongue 17 become adjacent to the tongue 15 and can be twisted and spaced in different angular positions with the tongue 15 depending on the rows and the patterns that needs to be built. 5.

Claims

CLAIMS

1) A building toy formed of interlocking brick elements comprising; A plurality of interlocking bricks provided in a variety of different colors, shapes and sizes designed and configured to be assembled between each other to form precise and coherent patterns of extremely fine details, each one of said interlocking bricks include an upper part, a lower part and an annular recess which is positioned and extends between the upper part and the lower part and which surrounds the middle part of the longitudinal height of the said interlocking brick; the upper part is formed of a regular circular or regular polygonal shapes; the lower part provides, on its longitudinal height, at least one longitudinal extending tongue and at least one corresponding longitudinal extending groove, and these tongues and grooves are shaped and configured so that tongues and corresponding grooves can slide into each other to be releasably interlocked, the annular recess of said interlocking brick is formed in a suitable position through which the said tongues are engaged to slide into the said grooves of other interlocking bricks.

2) Building toy according to claim I wherein said tongue extend along the edge of the longitudinal height of the said lower part of said interlocking brick.

3) Building toy according to claim I wherein said groove extend along the edge of the longitudinal height of the said lower part of the said interlocking brick.

4) Building toy according to claim 1 wherein said tongue and said groove are shaped so that to slide and be retained with respect to each other.

5) Building toy according to daim I wherein said lower part is formed of circular shape.

6) Building toy according to claim I wherein said lower part is formed of polygonal shape.

7) Building toy according to daim I wherein said upper part is formed of circular shape.

8) Building toy according to claim I wherein said upper part is formed of polygonal shape.

9) Building toy according to claim I wherein said upper part is formed of partly spherical shape.

10) Building toy according to claim 6 wherein said polygonal shape is formed of square shape.

11) Building toy according to claim 8 wherein said polygonal shape is formed of square shape.

12) Building toy according to claim 6 wherein said polygonal shape is formed of hexagonal shape.

13) BuHding toy according to claim 8 wherein said polygonal shape is formed of hexagonal shape.

14) Building toy according to daim 8 wherein said polygonal shape is formed of triangular shape.

15) Building toy according to claim I wherein said interlocking brick has a cylindrical portion protruding from the center of the said upper part.

16) Building toy according to claim 1 wherein at least some of the said interlocking bricks have a cylindrical recess protruding in the center of the bottom side of the said lower part.

17) Building toy according to claim I wherein said interlocking brick is provided with representations of letters or symbols for educational and teaching purposes.

18) Building toy according to daim I wherein said tongues and said grooves are hidden by the said upper parts when the said interlocking brick elements are assembled between each other.