US20160279534A1

US20160279534A1 - Building Components

Info

Publication number: US20160279534A1
Application number: US14/458,929
Authority: US
Inventors: Edmund (Kin Fai) CHANG
Original assignee: Mattel Inc
Current assignee: Mattel Inc
Priority date: 2013-08-14
Filing date: 2014-08-13
Publication date: 2016-09-29

Abstract

A toy building block includes a main body, one or more posts, and one or more receptacles. Preferably, the posts on a block extend from a top side of the main body and the receptacles are included in a bottom side of the main body. The posts and receptacles may have multiple configurations and may be flexible. Additionally, the surfaces or portions of the posts and receptacles that engage each other may be tapered.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/865,922, filed Aug. 14, 2013, entitled “Building Components,” the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to building components. More specifically, the present invention relates to building components with new coupling portions that facilitate and improve the manufacturing of the building components as well as permit the use of conventional tools for the manufacture of the building components instead of higher costs “precision” tools.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Building blocks and, in particular, building blocks with coupling portions are well known and widely popular among children. Some conventional blocks have a body that includes an upper portion and several walls that extend downwardly from the upper portion. The downwardly extending walls define a cavity or aperture therebetween. Typically, one or more studs extend from the upper portion of the block. The cavity or aperture defined by the walls is sized to receive the studs of another block so that a user may stack or build multiple blocks on top of each other. Generally, the studs of a first block are inserted into an aperture or cavity of a second block in order to stack or build the first and second blocks or otherwise couple them together.
Conventional blocks that are coupled to each other are retained in a coupled arrangement by the friction between the outer surfaces of the stud or studs of one block and the walls and other surfaces of another block with which the studs are in contact. The outer side surface or surfaces of a stud are perpendicular to the upper portion of the block from which they extend. Similarly, the walls or surfaces of a block that are engaged by a stud are perpendicular to the upper portion of that block.
The perpendicular orientations of the surfaces of the studs and the walls allow the studs to be inserted into the cavity or aperture, with the contact surfaces sliding along each other. However, to ensure the coupling of such blocks, the manufacturing of such blocks require very high tolerances of the surfaces of the studs and walls because if either of the walls or surfaces varies from the perpendicular orientation, the friction between them will be insufficient to retain the blocks together. Thus, expensive tooling is required to ensure that the surfaces are molded or processed exactly as needed.
Accordingly, there is a need for a new design for a building component that is easy to manufacture and does not require expensive tooling. In addition, there is a need for a new design for a building component that can be manufactured with low tolerances for some of its features, thereby simplifying the manufacturing process and reducing the manufacturing costs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a building component includes a main body including a top end and a bottom end, at least one projecting portion or post extending from the top end of the main body, and at least one aperture or receptacle defined in the bottom. Each post includes a top end and bottom end and its outer surface or side is tapered inwardly from the top end of the post to the bottom end of the post. In addition, each receptacle includes a top end and a bottom end and the wall/surface or walls/surfaces defining the receptacle is or are similarly tapered from the top end of the receptacle to the bottom end of the receptacle, such that the interior of the receptacle has the same dimensions and configuration as the exterior of a post.
According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a set of building components includes a first building component and a second building component. The first building component includes a main body with a top end and a bottom end and one or more posts extending from the top of the main body. The second building component includes a main body with a top end and a bottom end, and one or more receptacles formed or defined in the bottom end of the main body of the second building component.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a schematic block diagram of an embodiment of building components in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 1A shows a top perspective view of a building component in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a top view of the building component of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional side view of the building component of FIG. 1A taken along the line “3-3” in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 shows a top perspective view of another embodiment of a building component in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 5 shows a bottom perspective view of the building component of FIG. 4.

FIGS. 6-7 show cross-sectional schematic views of another embodiment of a building component in accordance with the present invention.

FIGS. 8-9 show perspective views of several building components of FIG. 4 coupled together.

FIG. 10 shows a top perspective view of another embodiment of a building component in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 11 shows a cross-sectional side view of the building component of FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 shows a bottom view of the toy building component of FIG. 10.

FIG. 13 shows a bottom view of another embodiment of a building component in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 14 shows a bottom view of another embodiment of a building component in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 15 shows a close-up perspective view of a portion of a wall of the building component of FIG. 14.

Like reference numerals have been used to identify like elements throughout this disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Generally referring to the figures, several exemplary embodiments of building components are shown. As discussed below in further detail, a building component according to the present invention includes one or more projecting portions or posts and one or more receptacles or receiving areas that are configured to receive a post included on another building component. A projecting portion or post may be referred to alternatively as a coupler or coupling member.
Still generally referring to the figures, the figures of the present application depict various embodiments of building components according to the present invention. In various embodiments, the quantity of posts on a building component can vary, depending on the shape and size of the building component. It is to be understood that any desirable arrangement of posts may be included on a building component. The posts may be arranged in one or more rows, depending on the width of the building component. For example, the posts may be in a 1 by 6 grid. Alternatively, the posts may be in a 2 by 3 grid or a 6 by 6 grid, depending on the shape.
Similarly, any desirable arrangement or shape of a receptacle or receptacles may also be included on a building component. Preferably, the arrangement and quantity of receptacles on a particular building component mirrors or matches the arrangement of posts on that building component.
The term “building component” is used herein to refer to any article or item with one or more posts and/or one or more receptacles formed therein. The quantity of posts and receptacles of building components can vary from component to component. In addition, the shape and configuration of the building components can vary as well. The term “building component” is not limited to articles or items which are block-shaped. For example, while one embodiment of a building component according to the present invention is a rectangular parallelepiped, other embodiments of the building component may be flat and/or arcuate. A flat building component may be referred to alternatively as a plate.
Referring to FIG. 1, a schematic block diagram of an embodiment of a building component according to the present invention is illustrated. In FIG. 1, two building components are illustrated.
Building component 310 includes a body 312 with one or more male posts 314 extending therefrom and one or more female receptacles or receiving areas 318 formed therein or coupled thereto. Each of the receptacles or receiving areas 318 is configured to receive a post from another building component to couple the building components with the post and the receptacle together.
In various embodiments, the body 312 of the building component 310 may have any type of shape, size, or configuration. For example, a building component 310 may have a generally flat configuration. Alternatively, a building component 310 may have a configuration that generally resembles a cube or a rectangular parallelepiped. Also, in some embodiments, a building component 310 may have a configuration that is not a standard geometric shape. For example, a building component 310 may be a portion of a building (such as a toy window, door, door frame, etc.) or a toy vehicle (an axle supporting structure, car window, a hood, a trunk, etc.) or other product.
Referring back to FIG. 1, while a single box is illustrated for the posts 314 and the receptacles 318, it is to be understood that in various embodiments, building component 310 may include one post, two posts, or a grid arrangement of posts extending from the body 312. Similarly, it is to be understood that in various embodiments, the body 312 of the building component 310 may include one receptacle or receiving area 318 formed in the body 312 that defines a single receptacle or receiving area. Alternatively, in different embodiments, the receptacle 318 may be defined or formed into more than one receptacle or receiving area, each of which is configured to receive a post from another building component.
In FIG. 1, building component 330 is also illustrated. In this embodiment, building component 330 includes a body 332 that has one or more posts 334 extending therefrom and one or more receptacles 338 formed therein. Building components 310 and 330 are illustrated in a manner that depicts the movement of the building components 310 and 330 toward each other along the directions of one or more of arrow “A.” To couple building components 310 and 330 together, one or more of the posts 334 of building component 330 engage and are inserted into one or more receptacles 318 in building component 310.
In this embodiment, each post 314 of building component 310 has one or more tapered outer sides or surfaces 316 and each receptacle or receiving area 318 has one or more wall portions that have one or more tapered sides 320. Similarly, each post 334 of building component 330 has one or more tapered outer sides or surfaces 336 and each receptacle or receiving area 338 has one or more wall portions that have one or more tapered sides 340.
In one embodiment, the tapering of the side or sides defining one of the receptacles 318 or 338 is complementary to the tapering of the side or sides defining the outer sides or surfaces 316 or 336 of the posts 314 or 334. As described in greater detail below, the tapered configurations of the sides of the posts 314 and 334 and the sides or surfaces defining the receptacles 318 and 338 facilitate the engagement and coupling of a post of one building component with a receptacle of another building component even though the tapered configurations of the posts and receptacles may vary slightly from building component to building component.
Now turning to FIGS. 1A and 2, an embodiment of a toy building component according to the present invention is illustrated. In this embodiment, the toy building component 10 includes a main body 12 with a top or an upper surface 14 and several side walls 16, 18, 20, and 22 extending downwardly from the main body 12. A projecting portion or post 30 extends upwardly from the upper surface 14 of the main body 12. Referring to FIG. 2, the post 30 includes an outer surface 32 defining the periphery of the post 30. In addition, the post 30 includes an inner surface 34 that defines a receptacle or void 36, a function of which is described in detail below. In this embodiment, the post 30 is formed by a continuous wall and has an upper or top end 38 and a lower or bottom end 40 (see FIG. 1A). As described in detail below, the outer surface 32 of the post 30 is tapered from its upper end 38 to its lower end 40, and thus provides an undercut configuration. The term “undercut” is used to refer to a shape of a post that has a larger outer diameter at its distal or upper end 38 and a smaller outer diameter at its proximal or lower end 40 that is connected to the body 12 of the building component 10. The difference in diameters results in the distal or upper end 38 of the post extending outwardly beyond the proximal or lower end 40 of the post 30.
Referring to FIG. 3, a cross-sectional view taken along line “3-3” in FIG. 2 is illustrated. The particular features of post 30 are illustrated in FIG. 3. In particular, the inner surface 34 defining receptacle or void 36 is shown as well as the upper end 38 and lower end 40 of the outer surface 32 of the post 30. As mentioned above, the outer surface 32 of post 30 is slightly tapered from the upper end 38 to the lower end 40. Thus, the outer diameter D1 of the upper end 38 of the post 30 is slightly greater than the outer diameter D2 of the lower end 40 of the post 30.
In one exemplary embodiment, the outer diameter D1 of the upper end 38 is 4.92 mm and the outer diameter D2 of the lower end 40 is 4.86 mm The ratio of D2 to D1 is 98.8%. In that embodiment, the length D3 of the post 30 from the upper end 38 to the lower end 40 is 1.8 mm In different embodiments according to the invention, the ratio of the outer diameters D1 and D2 can vary. For example, in one implementation, the ratio of D2 to D1 is preferably in the range of 95% to 99.9%. In another implementation, the ratio of D2 to D1 can be in the range of 90% to 99.9%. In another implementation, the ratio can be in the range of 80% to 99.9%. In yet other implementations, the ratio can be lower than 80%, but the amount of friction between a post and a wall defining a receptacle into which the post is inserted is lowered as the ratio of D2 to D1 becomes smaller. The ranges of ratios set forth above are exemplary and not intended to be limiting.
As shown in FIG. 3, side walls 16 and 22 extend downwardly from main body portion 12. Interior walls 50 and 70 also extend downwardly from main body portion 12. Side wall 16 and interior wall 50 collectively define a receptacle 51 into which a post from another building component may be inserted. Similarly, side wall 22 and interior wall 70 collectively define another receptacle 71 that is configured to receive a post from another building component. In this embodiment, each of the receptacles 51 and 71 is a two-part receptacle, in that each receptacle 51, 71 has two sections with different inner diameters and different inner wall shapes and angles.
Each of the walls 16 and 50 includes a first portion 52 that defines an upper receptacle portion 54 that has a constant inner diameter along its length from the main body 12 to a transition point 60. The walls defining receptacle portion 54 are straight and are perpendicular to the main body portion 12.
Below the transition point 60 is a second portion 56 that has a tapered inner surface that defines a lower receptacle portion 58 with a tapered inner diameter as shown in FIG. 3. The tapered shape of the second portion 56 matches that of the post 30 from end 38 to end 40. In one exemplary embodiment, the inner diameter of the receptacle portion 58 varies from 4.92 mm at its largest point (adjacent to transition point 60) to 4.86 mm at its smallest point at the entrance or mouth of receptacle 51. The receptacle portions 72 and 74 of receptacle 71 are similarly sized to receptacle portions 54 and 58. In one embodiment, the depth D3 of second portion 56 is the same as the height D3 of a post 30.
A post 30 that is inserted into receptacle 51 is retained therein provided that the outer diameter D1 of the upper end 38 of the post 30 is greater than the inner diameter of the smallest point of receptacle portion 58. The angled or tapered surfaces of the post 30 and the walls 16 and 50 allow for some variation in the manufacturing of building component. In addition, the intended flexibility of the receptacle where it engages with the post (see FIG. 9) allows for some variation as well.
As mentioned above, in conventional blocks, when the surfaces of blocks that engage each other (the posts of one block and the walls of another block) are perpendicular to the main body of the block, those surfaces must be extremely accurate and manufactured with very high tolerances between different molded blocks. There cannot be any variance in diameters of corresponding surfaces of blocks to be coupled together. An exemplary high tolerance is in the range of +/−0.001 inches or 0.000254 mm. The high tolerances for variations between the blocks require consistency and accuracy between the blocks, thereby necessitating expensive precision tooling.
However, in the present invention, expensive precision tooling is not needed. The heightened accuracy of the surfaces is not needed because of the tapered shape of the posts and the portions of the receptacles engaged by the posts. Building components manufactured according to the present invention may have low tolerances (such as +/−0.005 inches or 0.00127 mm) relative to conventional blocks. Thus, lower cost tooling can be used to manufacture the building components of the present invention, thereby reducing the cost of manufacturing. Any variation in dimensions, whether the outer diameter of a post or the inner diameter of a receptacle receiving a post, provides the ability for play or some movement of building components coupled to each other relative to each other. In other words, one building component can be pulled away from another building component to which it is coupled, but still remain connected thereto.
Referring to FIGS. 4-7, another embodiment of a toy building component according to the present invention is illustrated. As shown in these figures, each of the receptacles on the lower end of the building component is a one-part receptacle in that it does not have two sections like receptacles 51 and 71 described above for building component 10.
In this embodiment, a toy building component 100 is shown from top and bottom perspective views in FIGS. 4 and 5. The toy building component 100 includes a main body 108 with a top 110, a bottom 120, and a side wall 130 that extends around the periphery of the top 110 and the bottom 120 of the building component 100. Additionally, toy building component 100 includes at least one projecting portion or post 112 extending from the top 110 and at least one receptacle or aperture 122 defined proximate to the bottom 120. In this particular embodiment, the building component 100 includes six posts 112 and six apertures 122.
Each post 112 is a generally cylindrical structure that encircles or defines an opening or void 114. The void 114 is formed during the molding process and facilitates the removal of the building component 100 from a mold due to the undercut configuration of the post 112. Void 114 is similar to void 36. The inverted taper of the outer surface of the posts is atypical for molded parts and forms an “undercut” configuration. The void in a post facilitates the removal of a building component from a mold, and in particular, a post from a mold because the walls of the posts can flex inwardly due to the void.
The building component 100 includes several pairs of walls 124, each of which has an end 125 that is spaced apart from the end 125 of the other wall 124 in its pair. The ends 125 define a gap 126 therebetween, as shown in FIG. 4. Each pair of the walls 124 defines a receptacle 122, but does not fully surround the receptacle 122 because of its gap 126. In this particular embodiment, each gap 126 is disposed adjacent to a central portion of the bottom 120. Additionally, in this embodiment, the side walls 130 extend downwardly from the bottom 120, so that the receptacles 122 are contained within the building component 100. However, in other embodiments, the walls 124 defining the receptacles 122 may extend beyond the lowermost edge of the side walls 130, if desired.
Turning now to FIGS. 6-7, schematic cross-sectional views of building component 100 are shown. In these figures, the tapered surfaces of the posts 112 and the walls defining the receptacles 122 are overemphasized to simplify the discussion of the same. As shown, the receptacles 122 and posts 112 include tapered or angled surfaces. More specifically, and as shown in FIG. 6, posts 112 include a top surface 113 with an exterior diameter of length “D1” and a bottom surface 118 with an exterior diameter of length “D2,” insofar as “exterior diameter” simply denotes the diameter of the outer edges of a piece or portion. The top 113 and bottom 118 are connected by angled sides 116, such that the outer surface of the post 112 is tapered. By comparison, each of the walls 124 defining receptacles 122 includes a bottom end 132, a top end 136, and inner and outer angled side wall surfaces 134. Additionally, the top end 136 has an interior diameter D1 and the bottom end 132 has an interior diameter D2, insofar as “interior diameter” is used to denote the diameter of the inner edges of a piece or portion.
Still referring to FIGS. 6-7, each of the surfaces 116 and 134 are angled inwards because the D1 is greater than D2. While the difference in size between D1 and D2 is easily perceived in FIGS. 6-7, the difference may be minute, such that sides or surfaces 116 and 134 are only slightly angled. While exemplary dimensions relating to the tapered surface were discussed above relative to FIG. 3, in other embodiments, posts 112 and receptacles 122 may have any desirable angle or taper.
Regardless of the difference in size between dimensions D1 and D2, the posts 112 are sized to fit securely within the receptacles 122 because posts 112 have top and bottom exterior diameters (i.e. D1 and D2, respectively) which are substantially identical to the top and bottom interior diameters of the receptacles 122 (i.e. D1 and D2, respectively), respectively. However, since diameter D1 of a post 112 is slightly larger than the bottom interior diameter D2 of a receptacle 122, at least one portion of building component 100 must be movable or deformable in order to effectuate insertion. In this particular embodiment, both the receptacles 122 and the posts 112 are formed from a molded plastic material, and it is their shapes that provide the ability for building components to be coupled together. In particular, the walls 124 in a pair that define a receptacle 122 are spaced apart to form a gap 126, as discussed above. The fact that the walls 124 are not coupled to each other and have the gap 126 therebetween facilitate the movement or flexing of the walls 124 away from each other as a post 112 is inserted into a receptacle 122. Thus, the walls 124 defining a receptacle 122 are each at least slightly deformable and/or movable. However, in other embodiments, any combination of flex, stretch or movement may be utilized to facilitate insertion of posts 112 into receptacles 122.
In this particular embodiment, and as shown in FIG. 7, when the post 112 of a first building component 100 is moved into the receptacle 122 of a second building component 100 along the direction of arrow A, the walls 124 defining the receptacle 122 move or expand outwards along the direction of arrows B towards their expanded configuration C2 (shown in dashed lines).
In configuration C2, the bottom end 132 of the walls 124 are configured to receive the top 114 of the post 112, as shown by their movement to positions for walls 124′ (dashed lines) and the post 112′ (dashed lines) of building component 100′ (dashed lines). Then, as the post 112 is moved further into the receptacle 122, the walls 124 return their original configuration C1, securing the post 112 within the receptacle 122 in the process. In other words, two building components 100 may be coupled together when the walls 124 defining a receptacle 122 flex outwards and a post 112 is inserted therein.
Now turning to FIGS. 8 and 9, multiple building components 100 are shown coupled together in accordance with the process described above. In FIG. 8, multiple building components 100 are shown coupled together adjacent to each other, but in FIG. 9, the building components 100 are shown with slight separation therebetween. Notably, due to the geometry and coupling process described above, when multiple building components 100 are coupled together, there is some play or extension between building components, such that the building components may have an accordion-like connection, and the building components still remain coupled to each other. The distance that adjacent building components can move relative to each other can vary (as shown in FIG. 9) due to the low tolerances of the parts. The slight variations in the tapering of the surfaces of the posts and the walls defining the receptacles allow for the slight relative movement therebetween. The building components 100 remain coupled together as long as a post 112 remains in contact with the interior surfaces of walls 124.
Referring to FIGS. 10-12, another embodiment of a building component according to the present invention. In this embodiment, the building component 200 is a single post building component. Building component 200 includes a body portion 205 with an upper end 210 and a lower end 214 between which several side walls 212 are located. The building component 200 includes an upstanding post 220, similar to the posts previously described herein.
In FIG. 11, the internal features of the building component 200 are illustrated. As shown, the walls of the building component 200 define a cavity 230 into which a post from another building component can be inserted. The cavity 230 is defined into two portions by a straight wall portion 235 and a tapered or angled wall portion 245. The tapered wall portion 245 defines a lower portion 240 of the cavity 230, which is the part of the cavity 230 in which a post from another building component is actually located when the building components are coupled together. A transition point 250 is located between wall portions 235 and 245.
Referring to FIG. 12, a bottom view of building component 200 is illustrated. In this view of the lower end 214 of the building component 200, the linear or squared up shape of the inner surfaces of the bottom of the side wall portions 245 is shown. Each of the side wall portions 245 includes a slightly notched out portion 255 that has concave shape spaced inwardly in the cavity 230 from the lower end 214. This concave shaped recess accommodates the slightly wider diameter D1 of a post of another building component. In an alternative embodiment of building component 200, the four walls 212 can be replaced with a single generally cylindrical wall that includes the notched out portion 255.
A bottom view of an alternative embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 13. In this embodiment, a building component 400 includes a body portion 410 with several side walls 420 that extend around the perimeter of the body portion 410. Building component 400 includes four receptacles 440 that are configured to receive posts from another building component. Each receptacle 440 is defined in part by side walls 420 and walls 430 and 432. As shown in FIG. 13, walls 430 and 432 have tips or ends 434 and 436, respectively.
The building component 400 includes a central area 450 that is located between the ends of each set of the walls 430 and 432. This central area 450 is wider or larger than the diameter of a post of another building component 400, and thus, will not retain a post that is usually engageable with receptacle 440.
Referring to FIGS. 14 and 15, another embodiment of a building component according to the present invention is illustrated. In this embodiment, the building component 500 includes several side walls 520 and pairs of walls 530 and 532 that define receptacles 540 therebetween. In addition, walls 530 and 532 include wall extensions 534 and 536 that extend from the ends of the walls 530 and 532 toward the center of the building component 500. When a post is inserted into the central area 550, the post engages each of the walls extensions 534 and 536 and is removably retained therein, thereby coupling the two building components together.
Referring to FIG. 15, a close-up view of a portion of a wall that defines a receptacle 540 on building component 500 is illustrated. As shown, wall 532 includes its wall extension 562 that has an end 570. The end 570 includes a tapered surface 572 that is tapered from the bottom end of the wall 532 to a notch 574. A post from another building component is inserted into the central area 550 along the direction of arrow “A” in FIG. 15, and slidably engages the tapered surface 572. The tapered configuration of surface 572 matches the tapering on a post that is inserted into the central area 550.
It is to be understood that terms such as “left,” “right,” “top,” “bottom,” “front,” “rear,” “side,” “height,” “length,” “width,” “upper,” “lower,” “interior,” “exterior,” “inner,” “outer” and the like as may be used herein, merely describe points or portions of reference and do not limit the present invention to any particular orientation or configuration. Further, the term “exemplary” is used herein to describe an example or illustration. Any embodiment described herein as exemplary is not to be construed as a preferred or advantageous embodiment, but rather as one example or illustration of a possible embodiment of the invention.
Although the disclosed inventions are illustrated and described herein as embodied in one or more specific examples, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the inventions and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims. In addition, various features from one of the embodiments may be incorporated into another of the embodiments. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the scope of the disclosure as set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1-3. (canceled)

4. A toy building component, comprising:

a main body including a top and a bottom;

a flexible post extending from the top of the main body including:

a top end and a bottom end, wherein the flexible post is tapered from its top end to its bottom end, such that the top end of the flexible post is wider than the bottom end of the flexible post; and

an annular wall surrounding a void, wherein the void is accessible from the top end of the flexible post and the flexible post is configured to flex into the void; and

at least one wall coupled to the main body and extending beyond the bottom of the body, the at least one wall defining a receptacle including a top end and a bottom end, the receptacle being tapered from its top end to its bottom end.

5. The toy building component of claim 4, wherein an interior configuration of the receptacle matches an exterior configuration of the flexible post.

6. (canceled)

7. The toy building component of claim 4, wherein the void is a central void and the annular wall includes an inner surface adjacent to and completely surrounding the void and an outer surface opposite the inner surface, the outer surface being tapered.

8. The toy building component of claim 4, wherein the top end of the flexible post has a first width, the bottom end of the post has a second width and the ratio of the second width to the first width is in the range of 95% to 99.9%.

9. The toy building component of claim 4, wherein the building components may be manufactured with tolerances up to approximately 0.005 inches.

10. A set of building components comprising:

at least two building components of claim 4,

wherein the flexible post of a first building component is configured to flex to allow the flexible post to be inserted and removably secured within the receptacle of a second building component in order to couple a first building component to a second building component.

11. The set of building components of claim 10, wherein the flexible post of the first building component is configured to be secured to the second building component at any point along the length of the receptacle of the second building component.

12. The set of building components of claim 10, wherein the dimensions of at least one of the outer widths of the flexible posts and the inner widths of the receptacles included on the plurality of building components may vary within a range of approximately ±0.01 inches.

13. A toy building component, comprising:

a main body including a top and a bottom;

a post extending from the top of the main body; and

at least one wall coupled to the main body, the at least one wall defining a receptacle including a top end and a bottom end, the receptacle including:

a transition point between the top end and the bottom end;

a first receptacle portion with a first width being formed between the top end and the transition point;

a second receptacle portion with a tapered width being formed between the bottom end and the transition point, wherein the tapered width narrows from the transition point to the bottom end, the first width is narrower than the tapered width adjacent the transition point, the first receptacle portion is configured to fixedly secure a post of another toy building component therein, and the second receptacle portion is configured to movably secure the post of the another toy building component therein; and

a notch provided adjacent the transition point, wherein the notch laterally offsets portions of the at least one wall defining the first receptacle portion from portions of the at least one wall defining the second receptacle portion.

14. (canceled)

15. (canceled)

16. The toy building component of claim 13, wherein the portions of the at least one wall defining the first receptacle portion are straight and the portions of the at least one wall defining the second receptacle portion are tapered towards the transition point.

17. (canceled)

18. The toy building component of claim 13, wherein the post is flexible

19. (canceled)

20. A toy building component, comprising:

a main body including a top and a bottom;

a post extending from the top of the main body;

at least one sidewall extending from the bottom of the main body; and

a plurality of flexible walls, each of the flexible walls being coupled to at least one of the at least one sidewall and extending beyond the bottom of the main body, the plurality of flexible walls defining at least one receptacle and a central opening; wherein each receptacle includes a gap disposed adjacent the central opening, the gap being configured to allow the flexible walls to flex with respect to at least one of the bottom of the main body and the at least one sidewall and each flexible wall includes:

a wall extension extending towards the central opening, the wall extension including an end with a first section and a second section, wherein the first sections of the ends of the wall extensions collectively define a first central receptacle portion having a width and the second sections of the ends of the wall extensions collectively define a second central receptacle portion that is tapered from a top end of the second central receptacle portion to a bottom end of the second central receptacle portion.

21. The toy building component of claim 20, wherein the first central receptacle portion and second central receptacle portion collectively define a central receptacle configured to receive a post from another building component, wherein the first receptacle portion and the second receptacle portion are both configured to secure the post from another building component therein.

22. (canceled)

23. (canceled)

24. The toy building component of claim 21, wherein the width of the first central receptacle portion is a first width and the bottom end of the second central receptacle portion has a second width equal to the first width.

25. The toy building component of claim 21, wherein each of the wall extensions further comprises:

a notch laterally offsetting the first section of the wall extension from the second section of the wall extension.

26. The toy building component of claim 25, wherein the first central receptacle portion extends from the bottom of the main body to the notch and the second central receptacle portion extends from the notch to a bottom edge of the wall extensions.