JP2002537081A - Oblique toy parts and their connection method - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) Abstract: An oblique toy part (52) of a building set as a modular toy having a support structure member (4) positioned below for supporting an oblique toy part and other toy parts. The oblique toy part comprises an upper side, a lower side, two outer edges each having an outer end (60) spaced apart from each other, and an oblique edge joining the outer ends of the outer edges to one another. (62). The lower side of the toy component has a generally flat member with a mating mounting (66) for attaching the oblique toy component to the underlying support structure. The mating mount (66) is preferably spaced from the oblique edge of the toy component. The oblique toy part can be joined to the complementary oblique toy part by means of a connector which is provided at the oblique edge and which can be detachably connected to a connector provided in cooperation with the complementary oblique toy part. . The building set toy has a generally flat toy part attachable to a support structure that includes one or more of a diagonal toy part or a composite toy part.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a building set as a toy or a toy (hereinafter referred to as a "building set toy").
Torsion toy parts) and their connection system. In particular, the present invention relates to a composite toy part formed by connecting oblique toy parts to each other, and a building set toy including such an oblique toy part and a composite toy part.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION US Pat. No. 5,427,530 discloses a portable water pollution model and method that provides an improved apparatus and method for simulating water pollution. The present invention relates to a portable simulated watershed model including a simulated body of water and a simulated water pollution source, a simulated water pollutant that can be placed on selected portions of the model. The best control measures to minimize contamination, which can be placed on selected parts of the model, and a fluid dispenser that can simulate rain on a watershed model. The present invention further provides a portable simulated watershed model, providing simulated contaminants, locating simulated contaminants on selected portions of the model, best management of simulated objects. Providing means, placing the simulated best management means on selected portions of the model, and a method for simulating water pollution, including simulating rain on the model.

In US Pat. No. 5,417,603, a play structure comprises a plurality of play structure modules that can be interconnected to form an array having a three-dimensional play structure that appears generally continuous and transitional. Become. Each play structure module has a top that can be inverted so that the topological features of the play surface can be changed. Each side of the top of each play structure module is provided with a different topological feature. The top of each play structure module may be different or identical. These play surfaces are colored with landscapes to depict lakes, countryside, roads, and the like. The topological features of the play surface and the colored landscape are designed so that some symmetry relationship exists. In particular, when a plurality of play structure modules are assembled to form an array, and the tops of the play structure modules are arranged to provide a play surface having a continuous and transitional-looking landscape, any of the tops may be used. If one or all are reversed along the diagonal, the resulting landscape of the play surface will still be continuous and appear to the eye to be changing. This naturally increases the number of different play surfaces that can be created with the play structure module.

In US Pat. No. 5,348,478, a modular terrain having a plurality of parts or terrain cell plugs held in place by a base assembly is provided, the base assembly comprising a plurality of corresponding terrain cells. It has a cell receiving portion or cells formed therein. The terrain cell plug can be easily removed to allow for quick and accurate reconstruction of the terrain model. The terrain board has means for displaying buildings, rivers, lakes and other topological features.

In US Pat. No. 5,326,267, a model terrain accessory positioned for use on a miniature scenery surface is made of a permanently flexible material,
It is preferably made of polyvinyl chloride. These flexible accessories include roads,
It is a model of a realistic outline shape representing a stream, a bank of the stream, a bank, and a wall or a segment thereof. These flexible accessories adapt to the varying surface heights of the miniature landscape in which they are assembled. Flexible accessories easily fit together in an endless variety of individual and group forms, can be easily removed from landscape surfaces, and can be reused if desired.

US Pat. No. 5,251,900 discloses a puzzle formed of a plurality of puzzle pieces (or puzzle pieces) that when assembled create a self-supporting three-dimensional building structure. Puzzle pieces are of irregular polygonal shape, but all puzzle pieces are flat and flat blocks. The blocks are releasably interlocked about a common plane with a first complementary dovetail or dovetail joint along the edge. In the case of interlocking puzzle walls which lie laterally on one another, a second straight U-shaped edge-direction tenon in the direction along the edges of these corner blocks for interlocking by the action of friction. Or a joint comprising a mortise. Thus, separate pins, folding units, etc. are not required to fix the corners of the three-dimensional structure. The freestanding surrounding structure is continuous and presents a continuous image on its outer surface.

US Pat. No. 5,011,411 discloses a method for making non-repetitive modular designs. The design is created by assembling a plurality of substantially identical modules and coating the surface. Each module is in the form of a polygon, in particular a regular polygon, for example a square. The design of each module is produced as follows. First, a set of points is selected symmetrically around the midpoint of one side of the polygon, and points of the same pattern are selected for the remaining sides. Then, for each pair of points, if they are not connected by a line, the line thus drawn will form an asymmetric pattern around a straight imaginary line connecting any pair of polygon vertices. Color or other graphic elements may be applied to areas between lines or between one or more lines and one or more sides of the polygon. In order to produce the final design, a plurality of such modules are prepared and arranged in random order to cover the surface. The design is non-repeating and any orientation of the individual modules will create a valid design. The appearance of the design is
Changing the orientation of one or more modules will result in a variety. Generally, the appearance of the entire design is very different from the appearance of each of the modules. Modules made in accordance with the present invention can be used as floor tiles, or they can be permanently fixed to a sturdy substrate for decorative purposes.

In US Pat. No. 4,992,069, a bayonet-type building block constituting a building set has a protruding connecting pin and a socket which has a mating relationship corresponding thereto. In order to be able to also make anti-bend trusses, the building set must consist of a single row of connecting rods with two end pins whose mutual spacing is an integral multiple of the modulus √ (2) and Spar elements, each having two rows of pins with modular spacing at two bordering sides, each of which parallel sides are recessed by the thickness of the connecting rod It has a projection. In this way, a stable and good-looking truss structure can be built with the building set.

In US Pat. No. 4,988,322, a building set toy for making a tree-like model has a trunk element and a branch element. The stem element has a projecting branch having a stem portion and coupling means spaced from the stem portion. The branch element consists of a plurality of connecting rods, at whose ends a connecting bush is provided. Each of these bushes is provided with primary and secondary coupling means so that the branch elements can be interconnected and connected to the trunk element. Preferably, the connecting rod has additional branch portions, the ends of which are provided with bushes similar to the connecting bushes.

US Pat. No. 4,978,301 discloses a building set consisting of building pieces and connector strips, which is suitable for children of various ages and is safe. The building pieces are of a semi-rigid, flat configuration with opposing major sides, one with a hook-type fastener on one major side and a loop pile on the other side. Fasteners are provided. The fasteners are of the type that when pressed together will stick together. The outer edge area or margin area of the building piece is free of fasteners and thereby constitutes a tab or lip for separating the attached piece. Building pieces come in a variety of sizes and shapes, from which many designs and structures can be made. Connector strips are similar in construction to building pieces and are used to join adjacent building pieces together. Complementary colors and complementary patterns can be applied to the sides.

US Pat. No. 4,937,181 teaches that objects of some geographic or topological significance, such as states in the United States of America, may be associated with each other to show the relationship between these objects. An educational visual display system that teaches geography to be removably mounted and arranged is disclosed. This system is a main ground color surface of iron velvet fabric to which hook-type fasteners can be removably attached, a flexible foam with a geographically important, iron-coated velvet fabric layer on one side And a plurality of primary objects each having a plurality of hook-shaped fasteners provided on the other side, wherein each of the primary objects can be arranged to represent a larger geographical unit in combination. Each of the objects has a geographic or topological significance and has a hook-type fastener on one side of it so that it can be removably attached to the iron-coated velvet layer of the primary object. are doing. The iron-clad velvet fabric and hook-shaped fastener function as an attachment pair similar to a hook and loop fastener sold under the trade name VELCRO®.

US Pat. No. 4,874,176 discloses a three-dimensional puzzle including puzzle pieces having discrete surfaces, at least one of the surfaces having a three-dimensional sculpture form, Thereby, the sculpture surface of the collection when the puzzle is assembled forms a continuous three-dimensional painting. The abutting sides of the puzzle pieces are preferably lockable or three-dimensional so as to obtain an abutting relationship of the same shape as the sides of the opposing puzzle pieces. Also, a filler piece is placed below the puzzle piece to raise the engraving surface of the puzzle piece. The puzzle piece and filler piece may be located on a base having an edge receiving portion, which allows the use of non-interlocking puzzle pieces and filler pieces. The puzzle piece and filler piece can be vertically interlocked to prevent lateral movement and to prevent movement relative to the base by fitting projections into corresponding recesses.

In US Pat. No. 4,846,750, the base of the building set is provided with connecting studs for mounting building blocks having corresponding connecting elements. The base further includes a cavity configured to receive at least some of the building blocks. The cavity preferably extends from the side opposite the side with the coupling studs.

US Pat. No. 4,743,202 discloses a building block as a toy, which building block has at least one row of mechanical coupling pins on one side thereof. On the opposite side, a mating mechanical coupling tube is provided, so that the building block can be connected to a similar building block toy, and to a row of coupling pins of the similar block. The connection can be made using either parallel or vertical rows of connection pins. The building block toy is a first block designed to make an electrical connection with a first contact area and a second contact area in a similar block.
And first and second current paths respectively connected to the first and second contact areas.
First and second contact areas are provided in first and second sectors around adjacent coupling pins. The sectors are offset from one another and do not overlap whether the rows of connecting pins of a building block are parallel or perpendicular to the rows of connecting pins of similar blocks.

US Pat. No. 4,715,832 discloses a building element of the type having conductive components located within an electrically insulated building block. At least two conductive parts are provided, each with a contact area arranged mutually and coaxially. No matter how the building blocks are mechanically interconnected, the building blocks are electrically connected to each other between the current rails in the cooperating building elements without fear of short-circuiting the two conductive parts. Can be mechanically coupled with each other.

US Pat. No. 4,685,884 discloses a number of three-dimensionally shaped parts having an entire edge and an edge segment, wherein the entire edge and the edge segment of such a part are on the other hand. Abut the same entire edge and edge segment of the part. Such components may also have irregular or curved edges in non-abutting relationships representing terrain contours or banks or dikes of bodies of water. The sloped area of the part is located adjacent to the irregular or curved edge and represents a sloped area that is continuous with the same sloped area of the other abutting part. Obtaining a vertical surface to simulate a precipice can be done without the oblique area of the part.

US Pat. No. 4,556,393 discloses a building block having a side wall and a vertical front, one side of the vertical front for mechanically connecting the two building blocks by clamping. Are provided with two rows of connecting pins, and the other side is provided with a mating connecting tube which is paired with the connecting pins. The second coupling pins in each row each have a conductive surface, and the coupling pins located therebetween are electrically insulating. One row of conductive pins is displaced in the direction of the row by one coupling pin when viewed from the adjacent row. On the other side of the front wall, there are arranged contact bars electrically connected to the conductive coupling pins of the relevant row. The contact bar has a contact area that makes electrical contact with the row of conductive contact pins of the adjacent coupled building block.

US Pat. No. 4,461,116 discloses a connecting member having a resiliently deformable tubular plug with a slit at the end to interconnect a pair of building components. The building component has a coupling hole for receiving an end of the connecting member.
Holes are provided in the plug wall between the slits. The plug wall has clamping wedges extending longitudinally between the holes. The tightening wedge has an inclined surface inclined toward the end of the connecting member, and when the wedge is pushed into a pair of coaxial holes of the adjacent building part, the central portion is compressed, and the end is inclined. The section will be expanded. The connecting member may in particular comprise an annular flange and an end bead which fits into the corresponding annular groove of the adjacent component of the pair.

US Pat. No. 4,245,400 discloses a three-dimensional toy with a base member indicating a residential complex to which the structural profile member is attached, wherein the structural profile member includes a road, a section and a perimeter. Fixed by contour member locking elements to create a terrain height. The profile members and locking elements are also shaped to conform to the contours of the profile members and locking elements and, provided with life-like trees, serve as earth retaining walls that define the topographical characteristics of life-like residential complexes. .

US Pat. No. 4,185,410 teaches a flyable and pivotal suspension of a base plate for a building set toy or baseboard for visible planning panels. A lowering device is disclosed. One surface of the base plate or baseboard comprises a row of coupling studs including a plurality of studs spaced at both longitudinal and lateral directions, and the hanging device comprises:
A gripping member having an inwardly projecting guide adapted to slide along the base plate between the pair of row projections and to support the base plate when suspended from the wall. The slidable hanging device further comprises a hinge member pivotally mounted on top of the gripping element so as to permit relative pivotal movement of the base plate with respect to the wall on which the base plate is mounted.

US Pat. No. 4,176,493 discloses a rotatable element having a base plate and a disc rotatably mounted in a circular hole provided in the base plate. Receptacles or sockets for the disc-shaped pivot are provided at the bottom of the plate and are integral with the socket and supported thereon by ribs integral with the four side walls at the bottom of the base plate. Four identically configured holes in the bottom of the base put are formed by sockets, ribs and side walls. Four engaging studs are provided on the top surface of the disk and extend beyond its perimeter. The lower surfaces of these studs can make sliding contact with the top surface of the base plate during rotation of the disk.

In US Pat. No. 3,981,506, a plurality of parallelogram blocks having various heights, flat sides and a curved top surface are randomly spaced in place. Are connected to each other by interlocking means consisting of dedicated pins and holes, so that a three-dimensional puzzle having at least a curved upper surface is formed. To make two or more puzzles, first assemble the blocks into a polyhedron with six rectangular faces, then saw them along a predetermined path to separate the polyhedron into individual puzzles. .

US Pat. No. 3,742,620 provides an apparatus for describing landscapes and the interrelationship of contours that display the landscape in two and three dimensions. A transparent plate is supported on the model at a distance from the model, and contour lines connecting points of the same height on the model are drawn on the plate using a transfer material that is substantially easy to remove. The contours are transferred to a slab of transfer receiving material, and a layer of material corresponding to the contours is created by cutting along the contours. Next, the contour slabs are stacked on top of each other so that a stereoscopic display of the model is obtained. In another example,
The contour slabs are colored such that at least adjacent slabs are of different colors. When the contour model is pressed with a transparent plate, the two-dimensional contour display becomes visible again.

US Pat. No. 3,667,153 discloses a method of joining two plate-like elements with an interlocking structure, wherein the interlocking structure is formed along the edge of such an element. I have. The locking members of one element are in elastic engagement with the same locking member of the other element, the thickness of each locking member being half the thickness of the element, , On one side and the other side of a plane passing through the center of the edge parallel to the side of the element.

US Pat. No. 3,597,875 discloses a building block toy made to be similar in shape but to different modules. The inner protrusion of the smaller block cooperates with the outer protrusion of the larger block.

In US Pat. No. 3,597,858, a plurality of dimensionally related building elements are provided to a selected scale, such building elements being provided in a wide variety of sizes, including scale models. It has an interlocking socket joint portion and a beaded joint portion that can be assembled into a composite structure. The socket joints are slotted to allow insertion of the beaded joints, which hold the beaded joints firmly to hold the building elements in a specific angular relationship and at the same time Allows a substantial forced rotation and sliding movement of the. One of these building elements is a flat panel, which may be of various geometries, and another of the building elements is angularly spaced from one another about a common midpoint. A connector of a predetermined length having a plurality of joint parts arranged and placed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to one aspect, the present invention provides an oblique toy part for a building set as a toy, preferably an underlying support for supporting the oblique toy part and other toy parts. An oblique toy component of a building set as a modular toy including a structural member or a substructure member is provided. The oblique toy part joins the outer ends of the first and second outer edges, each having an upper portion, a lower portion, an outer edge spaced apart from each other, and the first and second outer edges. It is a generally flat member having an oblique edge. In order to attach the oblique toy component to the underlying support structure, the underside of the toy component has at least one mating attachment that is removably attachable to the support structure. The mating mount is preferably spaced from the beveled edge of the toy component.

The oblique toy component can be joined to another complementary oblique toy component via a connector provided at its oblique edge, the connector comprising a cooperating connector provided on the complementary oblique toy component. Can be releasably connected.

[0029] Preferably, the first and second outer edges of the oblique toy part diverge toward each other toward their outer ends. The outer edges may intersect each other at their respective inner ends, thereby giving the toy part an overall triangular shape. In embodiments where the oblique toy part is generally triangular, the mating mount that is removably attachable to the underlying support structure is preferably at the apex of the triangular apex where the inner end of the outer edge meets. Where it is located.

[0030] The lower part of the oblique toy part preferably has another mating attachment part which can be detachably attached to the underlying support structure member, thereby separating the toy part from two mutually separated parts. At a point, it can be supported on an underlying support structure. This further fitting attachment may be arranged, for example, at the junction of one of the outer edges and the oblique edge. Advantageously, this further mating mounting is provided at a distance from the diagonal edge connector, whereby the mating mounting and the connector cooperate to form a three-point support for the diagonal toy part, The two points or points of the support are obtained by the underlying support structure, and the third points or points of the support are obtained by complementary oblique toy parts to which the oblique toy parts are connected.

It is particularly preferred that the oblique toy part has two connectors along its oblique edge, and that these two connectors can each be releasably connected to cooperating connectors provided on complementary toy parts, Two connectors are provided, one at each end of the diagonal edge. With this configuration, the oblique toy component and the oblique toy component complementary thereto can easily constitute a mutual support.

If the oblique toy part has one, two or more connectors along its oblique edge, in each case each connector is preferably provided with a hook and a receiver. One of which is releasably engaged with the other of the hook and receiver provided on the complementary oblique toy part.

[0033] In another aspect, the invention provides a composite toy part, wherein the composite toy part can be joined together along a diagonal edge to form the same, and a complementary diagonal toy part. And a second oblique toy part. Each oblique toy part can have one or more of the features described above.

Another feature of the invention is a support structure member and a plurality of generally flat surfaces attachable to the support structure member and including one or more of the oblique toy parts or composite toy parts described above. A play structure having toy parts, for example, a building set toy is provided.

The above features and many of the attendant advantages of the present invention will be better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an embodiment of a building set 2 as a modular toy has a grid 4, a base 6, terrain 8, and play parts 10 It is shown. The base 6 has a tile base 42 that supports tiles 40 arranged in rows, such tiles including many of the composite tiles of the present invention, as described in detail below.

Considering the overall structure of the building toy when assembled to form a landscape (eg, the landscape as shown in FIG. 1), the grid 4 supports the base 6 and is removably attachable to it. It is a supporting structure member located below. The base 6 supports the play component 10 and can be detachably attached to the play component 10. The grid 4 also supports the terrain 8 and is removably attachable thereto. Since the grid 4, the base 6, the terrain 8 and the play parts 10 are modular, the modular building set toy 2 has many different forms using the same parts for the grid 4, base 6, terrain 8 and play parts 10. I can create it. The grid 4, base 6, terrain 8, and play component 10 are preferably constructed of a synthetic polymer, for example, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). Extrusion or injection molding of this synthetic polymer can form the grid 4, base 6, terrain 8, and play component 10.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 5, the columns 12 of the grid 4 are shown in detail. The pillar 12 is substantially cubic in shape, but preferably has a height slightly greater than its width. The post 12 has four sides 14, a top (or upper portion) 16 and a bottom (or lower portion) 18. A protruding or convex connector 20 is preferably provided on top 16 of post 12. In addition, the convex connector 20 is a pillar 1
2 is shown on top 16, but if the component on which top 16 of post 12 is mounted is provided with an appropriate pair of connectors, the convex connector 2
A receiving or concave connector may be used instead of a zero. Similarly, whenever reference is made to a concave connector (or vice versa) throughout the following description, a convex connector (or vice versa) may be used instead. it can. However, it is a condition that a complementary connector is present on a part to be detachably attached. The bottom (or lower portion) 18 of the post preferably has a plurality of concave connectors of the same shape and orientation as the convex connector 20 of the top 16 of the post 12. By using a convex connector 20 at the top 16 of the columns 12 and a concave connector at the bottom 18, a plurality of columns 12 can be removably rigidly stacked vertically to change the height of the grid 4. The concave connector also allows for the attachment of the post 12 to the center and corners of the frame 32 (FIG. 4), as described in more detail below. Although the convex connector 20 on the top 16 of the post 12 is substantially in the form of a four leaf clover in FIGS. 3 and 5, the convex and concave connectors described herein are rigid when installed. Any shape may be used as long as the two components can be detachably attached in a connection relationship.

Referring next to FIGS. 4 and 5, a frame 32 is shown. Frame 3
2 is preferably in the form of a parallelogram with four outer walls 33 forming a beam or beam between adjacent corners, more preferably polyomino in shape, most preferably square. is there. Polyomino is a shape formed by connecting squares. These shapes allow for a large number of connecting patterns of pillars and frames, allowing certain pillars to be skipped and roads or other features to be added between the pillars. Will continue the regular repeating pattern of. Thus, this arrangement provides the largest number of arrangement states for the structure. By using a plurality of frames (some of which are square polyominoes at least larger in size than others of the plurality of frames), the user of the building set 2 as a modular toy can A wide opening for receiving roads or other items can be formed below the terrain 8. For example, the road frames 35 and 37 shown in FIG. 2 are twice the size of the normal frame 32 (the road frame 35 is two squares) or four times the size thereof (the road frame 37 is four squares). Minutes). Some frames may have more than four corners because the polyomino is in a square array. For example, three square polyominoes may have an “L” shape.

Each of the four corner portions 34 of the frame 32 is provided with a convex connector 36. Intersecting stabilizing beams 38 connect the opposite corners 34 to one another. A central portion 39 is located at the intersection of the stabilizing beams 38 and has preferably four cloverleaf convex connectors 40. A single clover-like projection on each corner 34 is
6 are formed. The diameter of the convex connector 36 is, as shown in FIG.
3 to allow a detachable snap fit between the frame and the frame 32 of FIG.
2 is slightly larger than the diameter of the concave connector 36 in the lower portion 18.

Referring to FIG. 5, each column 12 is attached to the central portion 39 of the frame 32 by snap-fitting the concave connector of the lower portion 18 of the column 12 to the convex connector 40 of the central portion 39 of the frame 32. Can be. As a modification, the pillar 12
The four concave connectors of the lower portion 18 of the column 12 may be secured to four adjacent frames 32 by snap-fitting one at a time to the convex connectors 36 at the corners 34 of four different frames 32. One of the posts 12 can also be attached to the top of another post 12 by snap-fitting a concave connector at the bottom of one of the posts to a convex connector at the top of another post. Thus, by stacking the columns, it is possible to form the structure of the grid 4 having a desired height.

The individual components arranged at an angle to one another with the above-mentioned modular columns 12 and frames 32 of varying height and length and facilitating both horizontal and vertical interconnections Are obtained. The resulting grid 4 is thus constituted by the columns 12 and / or the upper part of the frame 32 and constitutes a row of mounting humps on which the base 6 and / or the terrain 8 can be mounted. be able to. In a preferred embodiment, these mounting bumps are regular diagonal grids, preferably polyomino-shaped grid elements,
Most preferably coincides with the bumps of the square grid element.

As best seen in FIG. 1, the base 6 provides a play surface for the play component 10 and is formed from rows of tiles 40 supported on tile bases 42, which are It is supported on a grid 4. Each tile base 42 has a mating mount on its lower surface that can mate with a mating mount on the mounting hump of the support grid 4 located below it to securely hold the tile base in place. Have. The tiles 40 preferably have a fitting attachment portion on their lower surface that can be fitted with a fitting attachment portion provided on the upper side of the tile base. Additionally or alternatively, the tiles 40 may themselves have mating mountings on their lower surfaces that can mate with mating mountings of the grid 4 mounting load. The purpose is to attach them directly to the grid 4 so that they can be supported by it.

The tile base 42 and the tiles 40 are preferably polyomino in shape, especially when mounted directly on the grid 4, based on the same orthogonal, preferably square, grid elements as the mounting humps of the grid 4. Thus, they can be supported on four of the mounting bumps. In this way, in addition to the excellent support action of the base 6, a high flexibility is obtained in the arrangement of the tiles 40 and the tile bases 42 on the underlying grid 4. Many (if not all) of the tiles and associated tile bases are compatible with each other, allowing a wide variety of play surface designs to be obtained while utilizing the same components.

The tile 40 supported on the tile base may cover the entire top of the tile base 42 if it is to produce a portion of lawn, soil, water or pavement of constant depth. However, if it is desired to change the depth, for example, to direct a roadway, street, river bank or lake shore as shown in FIG. 1, the tile 40a may be a street, roadway, river directed by the exposed portion of the tile base 42. Alternatively, only a portion of the tile base 42 may be covered so that sidewalks, green areas, river banks or lake shores that are higher than the lake can be rendered.

The tiles 40 may be patterned by printing, painting, contrast plastic molding, photolithography or other methods known in the art. The pattern on the patterned tile 40 may represent, for example, a sidewalk, path, or road. By rotating the patterned tiles 40 in a horizontal plane on the tile base 42 or on the underlying grid 4 if the tiles are mounted directly on the grid, the patterned tiles 40 are , Footpaths or roads.

In the example shown, the majority of the tiles 40 are formed as one piece, each of which has a certain appearance on their upper surface. That is, each of these regular tiles
It is a sidewalk tile, grassland or grassland tile, or has some other consistent surface morphology. However, in order to give more flexibility to the configuration of the play surface of the building set as a toy, the multiple tiles are composite tiles 50a, 50b formed from two detachably connected diagonal tile pieces or components. Yes, and will be described in detail below. For a building set as a toy, many diagonal tile components with a variety of surface configurations are provided, and each tile component can be removably connected to any other diagonal component. Since the two diagonal tile components of each composite toy component have different planar shapes, the composite tile formed from the selected two of the diagonal components uses the constituent components of the building set as a toy. It is possible to make further changes in the design of the surface of the landscape created.

For example, as can be seen in FIG. 1, four composite tiles 50 a can be placed in a section to simulate a pond in the play surface, with the banks of the pond at the edges of the regular tiles. On the other hand, in this example, it is inclined by 45 °. This is a diagonal tile part 52a designed to simulate water bodies as half of each composite tile.
And the other half by selecting diagonal tile components 54a designed to simulate grasslands, pavements, etc., thereby producing a pond embankment. Similarly, other non-aligned features can be provided in the toy structure by appropriate selection of the diagonal tile components that make up each composite tile.

Another use for composite tiles is shown in FIG. 1 at the base of the terrain feature 8. Here, the composite tile 50b is used such that it is not necessary to follow the strict diagonal grid provided by the support structure located below the lower edge of the terrain. One half of the composite tile 50b is a diagonal tile component 52b selected to produce a surface pattern, for example, water, grassland, etc., and the diagonal tile component 50b that forms the other half of the composite is a terrain 8 or suitable fit It is a top surface that supports a convex connector 56 to which any other building component with a mating attachment can be attached. In this way, the base of the hill formed by the terrain 8 is aesthetically pleasing as it crosses the regular diagonal grid of mounting bumps provided by the underlying grid 4.

The exemplary composite tile 50 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. The composite tile 50 is formed from two oblique tile components 52 and 54. As can be seen most clearly in FIG. 6, each of the slanted tile components 52 and 54 has a triangular shape as a whole, and in particular, has a right-angled triangular shape in this embodiment. Thus, each diagonal tile component has two straight outer edges 56 of substantially equal length, which are perpendicular to each other and each of which is at a right angle apex 58 at the diagonal tile component. Meet at the end. The outer end 60 of each of the two outer edges 56 is
Straight oblique edge 6 forming the hypotenuse of a triangle facing right angle vertex 58
2 are joined.

On the lower surface 64 of each of the slanted tile components 52 and 54, two fitting attachment portions 66 are provided, and each fitting attachment portion 66 is a lattice located below the building set 2 as a toy. The support structure member 4 can be detachably attached to each of the attachment bumps or the other mating attachment portion of the pair provided on the tile base 42 located below. On each oblique tile component 52, 54, one of the fitting attachment portions 66a is formed at a right angle vertex 58 where two outer edges 56 intersect. The other fitting attachment portion 66b is formed at a joint portion of one of the outer edge portion 56a and the oblique edge portion 62 (as can be seen in FIGS. 6 and 7, the oblique edge of the front oblique tile 54 is formed. At the left end of the portion 62 and at the right end of the diagonal edge 66 of the front diagonal tile 52).

In the preferred form described herein, the mating attachments 66 of the diagonal tile components 52, 54 are provided at the upper portion 16 of the columns 12 of the grid 4 and / or at the corners 34 of the frame 32. In the form of a concave connector which can be engaged with the provided clover shaped convex connectors 20 and 36. Specifically, in the illustrated example, the concave connector is a square receiver that forms a snap-fit relationship with the cloverleaf convex connector. However, any other mating connector may be used.

To accommodate the concave connector at the junction between the beveled edge 62 and the outer end 60 of one outer edge 56, the triangle of the beveled tile component is extended at that junction. Thus, a square corner block 70 is formed. Beveled edge 62
At the other end 72 of the diagonal edge 62 that intersects the outer edge 56 located on the opposite side, the triangular shape of each diagonal tile component 52, 54 is cut so as to complement the square corner block 70 in shape. Have been head. As described above, when the two oblique tile components 52 and 54 are combined with the respective oblique edges 62 facing each other to form the composite tile 50, the square of each oblique tile component 52 and 54 is formed. The corner block 70 interlocks with the truncated corners of the opposing diagonal tiles 54, 52 to provide the composite tile 50 with a continuous square perimeter as seen in FIG.

The two diagonal tile components 52, 54 form a composite tile 50 with mutually cooperating connectors 76, 78 disposed one on each side of the diagonal edge 62 of each diagonal tile component 52, 54. Are joined together. Any of a number of cooperating connector structures may be used to ensure this connection. The example connector structure shown is a connector consisting of a hook 76 and a socket 78. Specifically, the square corner block 70 of each of the oblique tile components 52 and 54 is
Adjacent to the beveled edge 62 is a D-shaped extension 80, which defines an edge 82 of the square corner block 70 and a receiving socket 78 between a portion of the beveled edge 62 and the D-shaped extension 80. Is formed. The top surface of the D-shaped extension 80 steps down below the top surface 84 of the tile components 52, 54 to form a component 86. The complementary truncated corner 72 of each diagonal tile part 52, 54 has an undercut 88 and a tongue 90 that are complementary to a part 86 constituted by a D-shaped extension 80, which has a D-shaped It hangs down from the outer end of the undercut 88 to form a hook connector 76 that can fit into the socket 78 formed by the extension 80.

As shown in FIG. 6, to connect the two diagonal tile components 52 and 54 to each other,
The respective hook connector 76 and socket connector 78 at each end of each diagonal edge 62 are aligned slightly diagonally with respect to the two tiles and each other so that the diagonal edge 62 is hooked to each tile component 52, 54. 76 is the other tile part 54,5
2 so that the slanted edge portions 62 can be abutted against each other while being separated from the socket 78 in the corresponding relationship, and the tile components 52 and 54 are twisted together (
These are positioned in the same plane (as indicated by arrow 92), from which the respective hooks 76 and sockets 78 are engaged with each other to firmly, but removably connect the two diagonal tile components to form a square composite tile. Preferably, 50 is formed.

As best seen in FIG. 8, each diagonal tile component 52, 54 is connected to an underlying support structure (whether it is a grid 4, a tile base 42, or another structure). When installed with the above arrangement of mating fixtures and connectors, whether or not they can be supported at three points or locations, i.e. at two points:
The fitting attachment portions 66a, 66b of the lower surface 64 are supported by the supporting structure member 4 located below, and at the truncated corner 72, the hook connector 76 is
It is supported by the socket connector 78 of the diagonal tile component adjacent to the composite tile 50. As can be seen in FIG. 8, the socket 78 is connected to an opening for the mating attachment 66b. When the tongue 90 of the hook connector 46 extends into the socket 78, the hook connector 76 becomes a part of the side wall of the fitting mount 66b. A convex connector 36 extends into the mating fitting 66b and frictionally engages the three walls of the mating fitting 66b and the hook connector 76. Thus, the convex connector 36 helps keep the diagonal tile components 52, 54 attached to form the composite tile 50. This connection scheme provides a very stable support structure for each of the diagonal tile components 52, 54, thus making up the entire composite tile 50.

As described above, the diagonal tile components 52,
The advantage of using 54 is that a variety of different diagonal tile components 52, 54 can be provided with various forms of top surfaces 84. This makes it possible to form a composite tile with surfaces of different selected shapes on the two halves. For example, the composite tile 50 shown in FIG. 7 has one diagonal tile component 52 with a flat top surface 84a, and the other diagonal tile component 54 is positioned thereover with a suitable mating fitting. A series of convex connectors 96 are provided on the upper surface 98 for attachment to another tile component, terrain component 8 or other component of the play structure having a. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the rear tile part 54 is intended to be covered by another part, for example the terrain 8, so that it does not impair the appearance of the landscape as a completed toy. , Etc. can be provided.

Having described the preferred embodiments of the invention, it will be understood that various modifications of the invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a building set as a modular toy embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded isometric view of the modular building set toy of FIG.

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of a column used for a lattice support structure member of the modular building set toy of FIG. 1;

4 is an isometric view of a frame combined with the pillars of FIG. 3 to form a grid support structure of the modular building set toy of FIG. 1;

5 is an isometric view of the plurality of columns and frames shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 assembled together to form part of a grid support structure member of the modular building set toy of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is an isometric view of two oblique toy components used in the modular building set toy of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is an isometric view of a composite toy part formed by connecting two oblique toy parts of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a bottom view of the composite toy component of FIG. 7;

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Claims (33)

[Claims] 1. An oblique toy part of a play structure, comprising: an upper edge, a lower edge, two outer edges each having an outer edge spaced apart from each other, and an outer edge of the outer edge. Consists of a generally flat member with diagonal edges to join, the lower side,
A mating mount spaced from the beveled edge and removably mountable to a support structure located below the play structure, the beveled edge being provided in connection therewith; An oblique toy component comprising a cooperating connector detachably connectable to a connector provided on a complementary oblique toy component. 2. The oblique toy component according to claim 1, wherein the first and second outer edges diverge toward each other toward the outer ends. 3. The oblique toy part according to claim 2, wherein the outer edges cross each other at their respective inner ends, and the toy part is generally triangular in shape. 4. The at least one mating mounting provided on the lower side of the generally flat member is located at an interconnection of the inner ends of the outer edges. The oblique toy part according to claim 3. 5. An additional mating mount on the underside of the generally flat member, said another mating mount being removably mountable to an underlying support structure member. The oblique toy part according to claim 4, wherein the oblique toy part is located at a joint portion between one of the outer edges and the oblique edge. 6. An additional mating mount on the underside of the generally flat member, wherein the mating mounts in said row attach to and detach from a support structure member located below the play structure. The oblique toy component of claim 1, wherein the oblique toy component is freely attachable and is located adjacent to a connector associated with the oblique edge. 7. A connector having two connectors associated with a beveled edge, each connector comprising:
It is detachably connectable to each cooperating connector provided on the complementary oblique toy part, and two connectors are provided, one at each end of the oblique edge. The oblique toy part according to claim 1, wherein 8. A separate mating mount on the underside of the generally flat member, wherein the mating mounts in the row attach to and detach from a support structure member located below the play structure. Claim: The invention is characterized in that it is freely attachable and is located adjacent to one of the connectors at the junction of the outer edge of one of the outer edges and the oblique edge. Item 9. An oblique toy part according to Item 7. 9. The connector associated with the beveled edge is one of a hook and a receptacle, which is operably connected to the other of the hook and the receptacle provided on the complementary oblique toy part. The oblique toy part according to claim 1, wherein the part engages. 10. A connector having two connectors associated with a beveled edge, each connector being detachably connectable to two cooperating connectors provided on a complementary oblique toy part, respectively. Are provided at opposite ends of the oblique edge, one of the connectors being a hook and the other of the connectors being a socket, each of which cooperates with a complementary oblique toy part. The oblique toy part according to claim 9, wherein the oblique toy part is adapted to engage with the receiving tool and the hook connector, respectively. 11. An additional fitting mounting part provided on the lower side of the oblique member as a whole, said another fitting mounting part being attached to and detached from a support structure member located below the play structure. The oblique toy part according to claim 10, wherein the oblique toy part can be freely attached and is located adjacent to the receiving connector on the oblique edge. 12. The shape of the generally flat member is based on a regular polygonal grid element, the first and second outer edges being coincident with two respective divergent sides of the grid element. The diagonal toy component according to claim 1, wherein the diagonal edge extends across the grid element. 13. The oblique toy part according to claim 12, wherein the grid element from which the shape of the overall flat member is based is polyomino. 14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the grid elements are square.
3. The oblique toy part according to 3. 15. A composite toy part for a play structure, comprising a first oblique toy part and a second oblique toy part complementary thereto, the first oblique toy part comprising an upper part and a lower part. A mating mount having a first generally flat member with a lower portion, the lower portion of the first flat member being removably mountable to a support structure located below the play structure. Wherein the second oblique toy part has a second generally flat member having an upper portion and a lower portion, the lower portion of the second flat member being located below the play structure. And a first and second fitting attachment portion detachably attachable to a supporting structure member located at
The flat members of each of the first members can abut each other to form a composite toy part.
And a second mutually complementary diagonal edge, wherein the composite toy component further comprises at least one connector provided on the diagonal edge of each diagonal toy component;
The connectors provided on the oblique toy parts of the first and second toy parts are configured to releasably connect the first and second toy parts to each other with the contact edges of the first and second toy parts abutting each other. Composite toy parts characterized by cooperation. 16. The composite according to claim 15, wherein an upper portion of the first oblique toy component and an upper portion of the second oblique toy component complementary thereto have different surface shapes from each other. Toy parts. 17. Each oblique toy part has two outer edges, said outer edges diverging toward each other outer end, and each oblique toy part has an oblique edge. The composite toy part according to claim 15, wherein the outer ends of the outer edges are joined to each other. 18. The outer edges of each oblique toy part intersect at their respective inner ends, each oblique toy part is generally triangular in shape, and the oblique toy parts have the same dimensions. The composite toy part according to claim 17, wherein the composite toy part is square. 19. The first and second fitting attachment portions on the lower side of each oblique toy component are provided.
20. The composite toy component of claim 18, wherein the outer edge of the composite toy is located at the junction of the inner ends. 20. Each of the oblique toy parts has another fitting mounting portion provided on a lower portion thereof, and each of the other fitting mounting portions is releasably mountable to an underlying support structure member. It is located at the joint between the outer edge of one of the outer edges of each oblique toy part and the oblique edge, and the another fitting attachment portion of one oblique toy part is 16. The composite toy component according to claim 15, wherein the other diagonal toy component is located at an end opposite to the diagonal edge in contact with the another fitting attachment portion. 21. Each oblique toy component has two connectors, one on each side of the oblique edge, associated with its oblique edge, the connector of one oblique toy component being connected to the other oblique toy. 16. The composite toy component according to claim 15, wherein the composite toy component is releasably connectable to a component connector. 22. Each pair of mutually engaging connectors provided on the oblique edge portion comprises a hook provided on one of the oblique toy parts and a receiver provided on the other oblique toy part, 22. The composite toy component of claim 21, wherein the hook and the catch are engageable with each other to connect the two oblique toy components to each other. 23. A connector at an oblique edge of each oblique toy part includes a hook connector provided at one end of the oblique edge and a receiving connector provided at the other end of the oblique edge. The composite toy part according to claim 22, comprising: 24. The shape of each diagonal toy part is based on a regular polygonal grid element, the first and second outer edges of each diagonal toy part being connected to the respective divergent sides of the grid element. However, the oblique edges of each oblique toy part extend across the grid element and, when connected to form a composite toy part, the two oblique toy parts together form a complete grid element The composite toy part according to claim 15, characterized in that: 25. The composite toy component according to claim 24, wherein the grid element is polyomino. 26. The grid element according to claim 2, wherein the grid elements are square.
4. The composite toy part according to 4. 27. An oblique toy part of a play structure, comprising a generally flat member having an upper portion and a lower portion, said flat member having a shape having two orthogonal outer edges. Are generally triangular, the outer edges being substantially the same length intersecting at their respective inner ends, each having an outer end spaced apart from each other; The member further comprises a beveled edge joining the outer ends of the outer edge to one another, the lower side being two mating attachments removably attachable to a support structure located below the play structure. One of the mating attachments is located at the mutual junction of the inner ends of the outer edges, and the other mating attachment is one of the outer edges and the oblique edge. The diagonal edge has two connectors associated with it. One of the connectors is a receiving connector disposed adjacent to the fitting attachment portion at a joint between the one of the outer edges and the oblique edge, and the other connector is an oblique connector. A hook connector provided at the other end of the edge portion, wherein the receiving connector and the hook connector are releasably connected to a hook connector and a receiving connector which form a mating relationship provided on a complementary oblique toy part. An oblique toy part characterized by being connectable. 28. The composite toy part comprising two oblique toy parts according to claim 27, wherein the oblique edges are brought into contact with each other and the hook connector and the receiving connector are engaged with each other while being engaged with each other. A composite toy part characterized in that one of the oblique toy parts has, on its upper part, a surface having a shape different from that of the surface of the upper part of the other oblique toy part. 29. A play structure comprising a support structure member and a plurality of generally flat toy components, each toy component being provided on an upper portion, a lower portion, and a lower portion of each toy component. Wherein at least one of the toy parts is a composite toy part, and at least one of the toy parts is a composite toy part. And wherein the composite toy part has a first
A first oblique toy part and a second oblique toy part complementary thereto, the first oblique toy part having a first generally flat member having an upper part and a lower part, The lower side of the flat member has a mating mounting portion that can be removably mounted to a support structure member located below the play structure, and the second oblique toy part has an upper portion and a lower portion. Having a second generally flat member with a lower portion of the second flat member having a mating mount removably mountable to a support structure located below the play structure. Wherein the first and second flat members have respective first and second mutually complementary diagonal edges that can abut each other to form a composite toy part, wherein the composite toy part comprises: The apparatus further includes at least one connector provided at an oblique edge of each oblique toy part, and wherein the first and second oblique toy parts have at least one connector. The respective connectors provided on the toy component cooperate to releasably connect the first and second toy components to each other with the contact edges of the first and second toy components abutting each other. A play structure characterized by: 30. The generally flat toy part is polygonal in shape, each conforming in shape to a polygonal grid element of a regular polygonal grid, and the outer edge of each diagonal toy part is 20. The method of claim 19, wherein each of the oblique edges of each oblique toy component extends across each polygonal grid element, coincident with a side of each polygonal grid element of the regular polygonal grid. Play structure. 31. The support structure member has a plurality of mounting knobs arranged to coincide with the mounting knobs of the regular polygonal grid, each mounting knob being located below the toy part. 31. The play structure according to claim 30, further comprising at least one corresponding fitting fitting portion attached to the fitting fitting portion provided on the side portion. 32. The play structure according to claim 31, wherein the grid elements of the regular polygon grid are polyomino. 33. The grid element according to claim 3, wherein the grid elements are square.
3. The play structure according to 2.