US20190321738A1

US20190321738A1 - Movement and building pad for objects

Info

Publication number: US20190321738A1
Application number: US15/960,558
Authority: US
Inventors: Alumiel Chambers; Kamari Chambers; Howard Chambers
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2018-04-24
Filing date: 2018-04-24
Publication date: 2019-10-24

Abstract

The invention relates to pads and/or platforms designed to fit a variety of objects, such as premanufactured figurines and action figures, blocks, support structures and the like. The pad may be used to facilitate the movement of such figurines, as well as to provide a floor to support various objects, without the need for the user to balance the figurine or object by hand. The pad may be used in various applications, such in connection with stop motion animation, and for educational use and play for adults and children alike.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application relates to, and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/484,499 filed on Apr. 12, 2017, which is entitled “MOVEMENT AND BUILDING PAD FOR OBJECTS.” The content of this priority application is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
In one general aspect there is provided a toy construction and support pad for the placement and securing of figurines and/or action figures including a base having a bottom surface and a top surface, three or more solid projections being integral with the top surface of the base, with each projection having a height of about 1 mm to about 4 mm and a shape that is substantially in the form of a cylinder, hexagon or octagonal prism, with a first projection being located at a distance of about 15 mm to about 50 mm away from the nearest adjacent second projection.
Embodiments of the construction and support pad may include one or more of the following features. The bottom surface of the base may have a substantially flat surface with optional texturing. The top surface of the base between each projection may be substantially flat. The cylinder-shaped projection may have a diameter of about 1 mm to about 4 mm. The hexagon shaped projection may have a width, depth and height of between about 1 mm to about 4 mm.
The octagon prism shaped projection may have a width of about 1 mm to about 4 mm, a depth of about 1 mm to about 4 mm and a height of between about 1 mm to about 4 mm. The base and projections may be constructed of one or more of the following: acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) polymer, rubber, silicone, wood, a wood composite material, metal, or a mixture of metals.
In a second general aspect, there is provided a toy construction and play kit, comprising the pad described above and one or more objects having a bottom surface and a top surface, with the bottom surface having one or more recesses configured to mate with one or more projections of the pad.
Embodiments of the toy construction and play kit may include one or more of the following features. The one or more recesses may have a shape that is substantially cylindrical, hexagon shaped, or octagon prism shaped and is substantially hollow within the recess. The one or more recesses may be mated with the one or more projections by a friction fit. The top surface of the one or more objects may include one or more projections being integral with the top surface, with each projection having a height of about 1 mm to about 4 mm and a shape that is substantially in the form of a cylinder, hexagon, or octagonal prism, where a first projection is located at a distance of about 15 mm to about 50 mm away from the nearest adjacent second projection.
The cylinder-shaped projection integral with the top surface of the object may have a diameter of about 1 mm to about 4 mm. The hexagon shaped projection integral with the top surface of the object may have a width, depth and height of between about 1 mm to about 4 mm. The octagonal prism shaped projection integral with the top surface of the object may have a width of about 1 mm to about 4 mm, a depth of about 1 mm to about 4 mm and a height of between about 1 mm to about 4 mm.
In a third general aspect, there is provided a method of making the toy construction and support pad of claim 1 having a first step of melting a resin polymer, a second step of filling a mold with the melted resin polymer, a third step of allowing the resin polymer to cool for a period of time, and, a fourth step of removing the cooled contents from the mold.
Embodiments of the method include on or more of the following features. The resin polymer may be acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) polymer. The mold may be filled using an injection molding machine.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to pads and/or platforms designed to fit a variety of objects, such as pre-manufactured figurines and action figures, blocks, support structures and the like. The pad may be used to facilitate the positioning of such figurines without the need for additional support, as well as to provide a surface to support various objects. The pad may be used in various applications, such in connection with stop motion animation, and for educational use and play for adults and children alike.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Figurines such as action figures and other types of dolls have been popular as toys and collector's items for children and adults alike. These figurines are often used in imaginary play whereby multiple figurines can be oriented in an upright position by the user to create a story.
Since the creation of action figures in the 1960's, users have not only been incorporating them into child's play, but also have been incorporating such figurines to form deliberate and precise positions for the production of short animations, using techniques such as stop motion animation. Stop motion animation is a well-known technique for developing animated movies and videos. This technique essentially consists of taking individual pictures of an object, e.g., a figurine, in a series of different poses and then assembling and rapidly displaying the individual pictures so that the figurine appears to move.
In this technique, the object is typically front lit and a still picture is taken of the object in one desired pose against a blue color key background. A series of shots are then taken to tell a story which involves motion of the objects, such as walking, talking, fighting scenes, and the like. The series of shots of the object may be inserted into a different picture where it is shown against a different background. Thus, when the final sequence of pictures is assembled, the object appears to move across the new background in a continuous, fluid and life-like fashion. It is considered average to capture from 12 to 20 frames per second in this industry. Therefore, an animation lasting only 10 seconds would require from 120 to 200 separate frames or pictures. This would mean 120 to 200 separate positions for the object(s) being shot.
Therefore, each time a new shot or picture is taken, the user is required to pose his figurine accordingly. Oftentimes, these figures are difficult to keep upright without some form of supporting structure. In particular, creating an animation of a figurine in the middle of a movement, such as taking a step or falling down is a huge challenge in the stop motion animation industry. In the past, stands have been used which typically hold up the torso of the figurine or contour to the bottom feet of the figurine, however, such structures are difficult to hide in frames and are therefore obtrusive in the animation and detract from the lifelike appearance of the movements.
Other solutions to providing the necessary support to a figurine include securing a bendable wire to its legs and down past its feet and then drilling holes into a board such as a plywood board where each hole drilled is configured to receive the wire and thus secure the figurine accordingly. This technique is extremely labor intensive, however, since it requires a new hole to be drilled into the board for every movement or position of the figurine. Given that a stop-motion animation can range from 10 frames per second on the low end to up to 24 frames per second on the high end, a minimal amount of frames of 100 would be required for a 10 second animation. There is a great need for a more efficient and lifelike technique for creating stop motion animation films using figurines. Furthermore, the ability to easily incorporate pre-manufactured objects such as buildings, furniture, and other objects into the animation would provide a seamless way for the user to add important elements to the film which have previously been unavailable.
There is an equal need to solve a number of related problems existing with children's play toys, since there has yet to exist a mat configured to mate with premanufactured figurines, support their weight and enable a variety of poses of multiple figurines at the same time without the need for additional support. Furthermore, the ability to easily incorporate pre-manufactured objects such as buildings, furniture, and other such objects into the child's imaginary play would provide a seamless way for the child to add important elements to the child's play which have previously been unavailable.
The closest prior art to the present invention is described below:
The LEGO® brand baseplate and toy bricks are known in the art. In building a toy construction, the LEGO® brand utilizes a base plate on which interlocking blocks may be stacked. Typical base plates are square- or rectangular-shaped, wide, and flat, typically having a height that is equal to one half or one third of the standard height of the interlocking blocks. The baseplate contains typically hollow circular projections which are approximately between 6-9 mm in diameter in Duplo® baseplates and 4-5 mm in diameter in LEGO® baseplates. Little figures resembling characters such as people or animals are available for attachment to these baseplates. In the Duplo® baseplates which are typically geared towards ages 1-5, the little people or animal pieces are fitted to the projections using hollow horseshoe-shaped feet which surround each circular projection around approximately ⅓ to ½ its circumference, with the remainder of the projection left in an unmated configuration.
The LEGO® baseplates which are typically geared towards individuals of age 5 and up, and have square shaped inlets which are configured to mate with the circular projections of the baseplate. The LEGO baseplate and accompanying little figures and blocks may provide a level, sturdy structure on which to build block constructions and may be suitable for toy constructions representing stationary structures, such as houses.
However, these baseplates are unsuitable for attaching pre-manufactured figurines, such as those manufactured by Hasbro® or Mattel®, which typically include feet having a substantially flat bottom surface and a small circular recess within this surface, much smaller than the projections found in the above-mentioned baseplates. These types of figurines contain no compatible components to secure to the LEGO® baseplate or any other known baseplate, for that matter. Therefore, users wishing to interactively pose such figurines for varying purposes such as imaginary play or stop motion animation cannot do so with what is available currently in the market.
Furthermore, the LEGO® system provides several limitations and/or disadvantages in the field of both stop motion animation and imaginary play for children. First, because the LEGO® baseplates are matable only with accompanying LEGO® blocks and little figures, users are limited to only to the stylistic and design choices of products provided by LEGO®. For example, the characters resembling people have a box like configuration and have a limited range of motion which limits the type of scenes or action that can be produced. Next, these products do not appear lifelike, unlike many of the figurines and action figures available on the market today. Therefore, users wishing to create a more lifelike experience are unable to do so with the LEGO® system.
Other prior art which is geared towards non-LEGO® figures and components do not adequately solve the problems addressed in the present invention. U.S. Pat. No. 6,179,685 discloses a toy doll and a platform on which the doll may be mounted, where the doll includes a shoe that may be engaged with a protruding coupling part on the platform.
This patent is directed to a new design for a doll and does not disclose the use of the invention on preexisting figurines/action figures. It appears that a particular shoe must be used in conjunction with the doll which adapts to the dimensions of the platform and so this is an additional component that must be incorporated to the system. Furthermore, the placement of the foot of the toy doll provides instability, since there are protrusions that the foot must rest upon in the '685 design. Therefore, the ability to achieve a variety of poses with the doll is severely limited. Lastly, there is no disclosure in the '685 patent of a pad to be used for the movement and posing of preexisting figurines/action figures.
The present invention is therefore a significant improvement in the art, since it allows a user to securely attach and pose multiple figurines/action figures which are already available on the market in a completely non-obtrusive manner without the need for additional support. Furthermore, the pad/platform of the present invention allows the user to attach multiple objects at one time on the same pad to create complex scenes that can be designed according to the user's preference and adjusted with ease.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a view of the pad of the present invention having a figurine and a block attached to the top surface using one or more projections.

FIGS. 2a, 2b and 2c are views of the pad of the present invention having multiple figurines attached to the top surface using one or more projections.

FIG. 3 is a view is a view of the pad of the present invention having a figurine attached to the top surface using one or more projections.

FIG. 4 is a partial view of the pad showing the foot of a figurine attached to a projection.

FIG. 5A provides an example of the bottom surface of the foot of a preexisting figurine/action figure having circular recess.

FIG. 5B is a sectional side view of the foot of a figurine/action figure.

FIG. 5C is a cross-sectional view of the pad showing the mated fit between a foot and projection.

FIG. 6 shows a sectional piece which can be removably secured to the pad of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a partial view of the sectional piece of FIG. 6 being in the process of being inserted into the pad of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the sectional piece of FIG. 6 taken at line y-y.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the sectional piece taken at line x-x, as shown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 10 shows a beam which can be removably secured to the pad of the present invention.

FIGS. 11-12, 13 a, 13 b, 14 a and 14 b display various objects and structures which may be built and/or secured to the pad of the present invention using a projection and recess system.

FIG. 15 shows a perspective view of the pad.

FIG. 16 shows a top view of the pad.

FIG. 17 shows a bottom view of the pad.

FIG. 18 is a right side view of the pad.

FIG. 19 is a left side view of the pad.

FIG. 20 is a front view of the pad.

FIG. 21 is a back view of the pad.

FIG. 22 is a right side view of the pad and includes several figurines secured to the pad using the projection and recess system as is described below.

FIG. 23 is a front view of the pad with a figurine secured to the pad using the projection and recess system as is described below.

FIG. 24 shows a perspective view of the pad having 9 projections with spacing that is ideal for a figurine being about 3 inches in height.

FIG. 25 shows a top view of the pad of FIG. 24.

FIG. 26 shows a bottom view of the pad of FIG. 24.

FIG. 27 is a right side view of the pad of FIG. 24.

FIG. 28 is a left side view of the pad of FIG. 24.

FIG. 29 is a front view of the pad of FIG. 24.

FIG. 30 is a back view of the pad of FIG. 24.

FIG. 31 shows a perspective view of the pad having 9 projections with spacing that is ideal for a figurine being about 7 inches in height.

FIG. 32 shows a top view of the pad of FIG. 31.

FIG. 33 shows a bottom view of the pad of FIG. 31.

FIG. 34 is a right side view of the pad of FIG. 31.

FIG. 35 is a left side view of the pad of FIG. 31.

FIG. 36 is a front view of the pad of FIG. 31.

FIG. 37 is a back view of the pad of FIG. 31.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1 is the pad 100 of the present invention, having figurine 102 and cylinder shaped block 104 secured to the top surface of the pad, 110. The pad includes several identical projections 101 to secure each object to the top surface of the pad. The pad 100 may include a number of projections, as is shown in the figures. Each projection 101 is generally of a cylindrical shape, with the top surface of the cylinder either having rounded edges or sharp edges. Importantly, it was discovered by the inventors that certain dimensions of the projections were required to adequately hold the weight of various sized figurines available on the market and balance the changing forces on the pad and figurine each time a figurine is formed into a different pose by the user. The ability of the pad to maintain the figurines in an upright position without the need for additional support was a major problem sought to be solved by the inventors. Advantageously, due to the particular design of the pad described herein, the projections are also kept at a very small size (about 2 mm in diameter and 2 mm in height) while still having the ability to hold much larger objects (up to 7 or more inches, for example) in an upright position.
FIGS. 2a, 2b, 2c and 3 illustrate one or more figurines secured to the pad having various different poses while still maintaining an upright orientation without the need for additional support. For example, in FIG. 2a , figurines 102 a and 102 b are secured such that the bottom surface 107 of each foot 106 are secured to each projection 101. Figurine 102 c, however is maintained in an upright orientation while only needing one foot in a secure attachment to a projection.
Similarly, in FIGS. 2b and 2c , the larger figurine 302 a is also secured to only one projection of the pad 100. In this manner, each figurine may be posed with ease in any type of stance which under normal circumstances may be considered unstable, such as a kicking stance with one leg extending up and outward or a walking stance with one leg bent and lifted off the ground. Various poses can be achieved and adjusted quickly without the need for any redesign or manipulation of existing figurines currently available on the market, such as those marketed and sold by Hasbro® or Mattel®. Instead of the cumbersome task of redesigning or adding additional components to these figurines, the inventors have identified a method to utilize the existing structural features that are common among many preexisting figurines. Accordingly, the pad of the present invention includes a number of projections 101 which are designed to mate within the circular recess on the bottom surface of the feet of preexisting figurines. It is important to point out that the foot shape and recess size on the bottom of preexisting figurines are not all the same. Therefore, it was a significant challenge to the inventors to determine a size and shape of projection that would provide excellent stability to the various figurines and action figures of varying sizes, as well as the optimal spacing between each projection.
FIG. 4 provides a partial side view of the mounting of a figurine having circular recess 105 to projection 101. FIG. 5A provides an example of the bottom surface of the foot 106 of a preexisting figurine/action figure having circular recess 105. FIG. 5B is a sectional side view of the foot 106 of a figurine/action figure.
FIG. 5C is a cross-sectional view showing the mated fit between foot 106 and projection 101 a. The projection is substantially cylindrical in shape, having a diameter of between about 1 mm to about 3 mm and having a height of between about 1 mm and about 4 mm. More preferably, the diameter of each projection is sized to be about 1.5 mm to about 2.5 mm and a height of about 1.5 mm to about 3 mm.
FIG. 5C designates the diameter of a circular recess as length “b” and the height of the circular recess as height “c”. The precise dimensions of the projections are important in order to achieve a friction fit between circular recess 105 and projection 101, while also having the ability to maintain unstable positions of the figurines. In an alternative embodiment, the projections may be substantially hexagonal, or octagonal prism shaped as is known in the art, with a width of between about 1 mm to about 4 mm, a depth of about 1 mm to about 4 mm and a height of between about 1 mm to about 4 mm. Each projection includes a base which is located at the bottom of the projection at the area where the pad and the projection meet, and at the opposite end, a tip. The tip of the projection may either take on the same shape as the base of the projection, or it may be tapered or rounded to form a rounded end, as is shown in FIG. 5C.
Advantageously, the overall size of a projection is kept small relative to the size of a figurine or object so as to minimize the appearance of the projections during use. This is especially important in the animation industry, which values the life-like appearance of figurines and the sequences filmed using these figurines. Smaller projections are going to be easier for the user to conceal during filming and therefore this is a unique feature of the present invention over the prior art Lego® baseplates. The spacing between the projections is another important feature discovered by the inventors. The spacing can be important in maintaining the balance of a figurine placed in a precise pose, for example. Preferably, the spacing between projections as well as the height of the projections allow for the bottom surface 107 of the foot of a figurine to be in substantial contact with the top surface 110 of the pad 100, as is shown in FIG. 5C. The spacing between the center of a first projection 101 a to the center of a second adjacent projection 101 b is preferably between about 15 mm to about 30 mm, more preferably between about 15 mm to about 25 mm, and most preferably between about 15 mm and about 20 mm.
FIG. 5C designates the distance between the center point of a first projection to the center point of an adjacent second projection as “a”. In one embodiment, two pad designs may be used for two typically sized figurines. For a figurine having a height of approximately 7 inches, a larger spacing may be utilized between each projection, such as a spacing of between about 20 mm to about 50 mm for the length designated as “a” in FIG. 5C. For a figurine having a height of approximately 3 inches, a smaller spacing may be utilized between each projection, such as a spacing of between about 15 mm to about 20 mm for the length designated as “a” in FIG. 5C. This amount of spacing was discovered by the inventors as particularly preferred to accommodate the different foot and/or base size of figurines which are preexisting on the market. With the purpose of minimizing the size and appearance of the projections while still having the ability to maintain the weight of a figurine/action figure, the inventors have discovered the required ratio of the spacing between each adjacent projection (a) and the diameter of a projection (b). The ratio of a to b is preferably between about 4:1 to about 13:1. This is in contrast to the Duplo® and Lego® brand baseplates, which use a much smaller ratio of about 1.5:1 of the same above-defined distances a and b. The inventors have also discovered the required ratio of height (c) to diameter (b) of the projection to be approximately 1:1 to approximately 2:1. This is in contrast to the Duplo® and Lego® brand baseplates, which use a much smaller ratio of about 1:2 of the same above-defined distances b and c. This means that the prior art baseplates use projections that are much flatter than the projections being used in the pad of the present invention, and with much less spacing in between each projection. The relatively large spacing between projections and flat surfaces between each projection are important in maintaining a stable pose of various objects in the present invention, especially in the case of figurines since part of the stabilizing features of the pad 100 is that the bottom surface of the figurine foot is in substantial contact with the flat spaces between each projection.
The spacing between each projection may also be described according to the outer edge of each projection. For example, the distance between a first outer edge of projection 101 a to the closest outer edge of projection 101 b which faces the first outer edge of projection 101 a may be between 15 mm to about 30 mm, more preferably between about 15 mm to about 25 mm, and most preferably between about 15 mm to about 20 mm. Each projection 101 of a pad preferably has substantially the same dimensions with respect to height, diameter, and spacing between projections, but it is considered within the scope of this invention that the projections on the pad vary in size, shape and spacing between projections.
Turning now to FIGS. 6-9, sectional piece 120 is provided, which can be used in conjunction with the pad 100 in order to build various structures to be supported on the pad 100. The sectional piece 120 includes a base portion 121 and a top portion 122.
FIG. 6 shows the top portion being in a substantially rectangular shape and is formed as a unitary piece with the base portion. The base portion includes one or more circular recesses 131 on its bottom surface 125, each of which are designed to mate with a projection 101 of the pad 100.
FIG. 6 shows two rows of circular recesses, with each row containing 6 circular recesses having substantially the same dimensions. In particular, the diameter of the circular recesses should be slightly larger than the diameter of the cylindrical projections 101 described above. For example, a circular recess 131 may be substantially cylindrical in shape, having a diameter of between about 1.5 mm to about 3.5 mm and having a height of between about 1 mm and about 4.5 mm. More preferably, the diameter of each circular recess 131 is sized to have a diameter of about 2 mm to about 3.5 mm and a height of about 1.5 mm to about 3.5 mm. The precise dimensions of the projections 101 of the pad and the circular recesses 131 are important in order to achieve a friction fit between one circular recess 131 and one projection 101.
FIG. 7 illustrates the manner which sectional piece 120 may be placed on the top surface 110 of pad 100 to mate with several projections 101. For example, sectional piece 120 includes a base with circular recesses 131 a, 131 b, 131 c, 131 d, 131 e and 131 f. Each recess is configured to mate with a corresponding projection, labeled as 101 a, 5101 b, 101 c, 101 d, 101 e and 101 f, respectively.
FIGS. 8 and 9 are cross sectional views of piece 120 taken at lines y-y and x-x, respectively, as shown in FIG. 6. FIG. 8 shows the sectional piece 120 including base portion 121 and top portion 122. The top portion 122 is formed of side walls 123 and 124 which are joined together by top wall 125. FIG. 8 shows the sectional piece 120 friction fit with the pad 100, the dimensions of the projections 101 and the sectional piece being such that the bottom surface 111 of the sectional piece is in substantial contact with the top surface 110 of the pad. This fit ensures a secure fit between the pad and the sectional piece and allows further sectional pieces to be stacked thereon while maintaining a solid structure. The top wall 125 of the top portion of the sectional piece 120 may therefore include additional projections being of similar or identical dimensions to the projections 101 on pad 100.
FIG. 9 shows a cross sectional view of the sectional piece 120 taken at line x-x, as shown in FIG. 6. The recesses 131 a-f may be circular, but may also take on another geometric shape, such as square or rectangular, as long as a friction fit is achieved between the projections 101 and recesses 131. FIG. 9 shows front wall 126 and back wall 127 being brought together by top wall 125. Just as is shown in FIG. 8, the dimensions of the projections 101 and the sectional piece are such that the bottom surface 111 of the sectional piece is in substantial contact with the top surface 110 of the pad. The bottom surface 111 of the sectional piece is generally a flat smooth surface, except for the presence of the recesses 131. The bottom surface 111 can also be a generally flat and textured surface. This is yet another difference between the present invention and the prior art, which typically use blocks which have an open bottom containing only coupling members.
FIG. 10 depicts yet another piece to be used in conjunction with the present invention, beam 130. The beam 130 includes end units 132 and 133 which may take on a variety of shapes but are shown in FIG. 10 to be square shaped having four projections 141 a, b, c and d on a first side and four recesses 142 a, b, c and d on a second side (not shown in FIG. 10). Between the two end units 132 and 133 are connecting pieces 134 a, b, c and d. These pieces serve to extend the length of the beam 130 and provide the beam with structural support. Importantly, the end units 132 and 133 include projections and recesses which correspond to each other to ensure a friction fit. Specifically, the dimensions of projections 141 and recesses 142 may be the same or similar to projections 101 and recesses 131 as described above. In this way, a dynamic system can be established whereby a user can secure one or more preexisting figurine/action figures to a floor (the pad of the present invention) while still having the ability to build structures and attach additional objects to that floor. The figurine/action figure can be manipulated and posed without the need for additional support or redesign, and the accompanying objects may be used to facilitate imaginary play, stop-motion animation, and the like.
FIGS. 11-12, 13 a, 13 b, 14 a and 14 b display other objects and structures which may be built and/or secured to the pad 100 using the same projection and recess system. Objects 151, 152 and 153 each include a bottom surface having one or more recesses. The objects are attached to the pad by fitting the projections 101 of the pad into these recesses. Shown in these figures is a building structure having side walls which are composed entirely of sectional pieces 120. Specifically, two sectional pieces 120 a and 120 b are stacked on top of each other to form a first wall 160, such that the projections on the top wall 125 of bottom sectional piece 120 a engages with the recesses on the bottom surface of sectional piece 120 b. The beams 130 form a roof type structure on the top of the side walls by engaging the recesses on the underside of end units 132 and 133 with the projections on the top wall 125 of sectional pieces 120. For example, the projections on the top wall 125 of sectional piece 120 b are secured to the underside of end unit 132 of beam 130. A beam 130 may also be secured directly to the pad 100, as is shown in FIG. 13a . Beam 230 is shown in FIG. 13b as an alternative to beam 130. Beam 230 is made of a solid rectangular construction without the presence of connecting pieces 134 a, b, c and d. A top view of the structure formed in FIGS. 11, 12 and 13 a is provided in FIG. 14a , which shows a top view of the beams 130 which are placed on top of sectional pieces 120. Additional sectional pieces may be secured to the end units 132 and 133 to form an additional story or floor to the structure, for example. These pieces may be secured using the same projection and recess system as is described above.
FIG. 14b shows a number of alternative beams 230 which may be secured to the top of sectional pieces 120 to form a solid floor or base to accommodate additional building and/or the placement of figurines.
FIGS. 15-23 show various views of the pad 100 of the present invention. FIG. 15 shows a perspective view of the pad 100.
FIG. 16 shows a top view of the pad 100.
FIG. 17 shows a bottom view of the pad 100, having no projections on the bottom surface of the pad. The bottom surface of the pad may therefore be substantially smooth or textured without projections. Alternatively, the bottom surface may include projections, as well. The pad shown in these figures is substantially square in shape and includes approximately 900 projections, with 30 projections per row and 30 projections and a total of 30 rows. It is important to note that the pad of the present invention may take on a variety of shapes and sizes. Preferably, the pad is containing at least 25 projections, such as in the form of a square having projections per row and 5 rows. In another embodiment, the pad can take on a rectangular, circular, triangular, or nongeometric shape. In another embodiment, the pad contains at least 9 projections, such as in the form of a square having 3 projections per row and 3 rows. In another embodiment, the pad can have at least 4 projections.
In another embodiment, the pad may be sold as part of a kit containing multiple pads of the same or different size. These pads may be assembled together or placed next to each other to form larger pads and therefore may be adjusted according to the user's preference. These smaller pads may contain at least 9 projections, such as in the form of a square having 3 projections per row and 3 rows.
FIG. 18 is a right side view of the pad 100. FIG. 19 is a left side view of the pad 100.
FIG. 20 is a front view of the pad 100. FIG. 21 is a back view of the pad 100.
FIG. 22 is a right side view of the pad 100 and includes several figurines 201, 202 and 203 secured to the pad using the same projection and recess system as is described above.
The figures are shown in varying positions such as tilting forwards and backwards to illustrate the stability provided by the projections 101 of the pad 100. FIG. 23 is a front view of the pad 100 with a figurine 201 secured to the pad using the projection and recess system as is described above.
FIGS. 24-30 show various views of the pad of the present invention having 9 projections with spacing that is ideal for a figurine being about 3 inches in height. FIGS. 31-37 show various views of the pad of the present invention having 9 projections with spacing that is ideal for a figurine being about 7 inches in height. For a figurine having a height of approximately 7 inches, a larger spacing may be utilized between each projection, such as a spacing of between about 20 mm to about 50 mm for the length designated as “a” in FIG. 5C. For a figurine having a height of approximately 3 inches, a smaller spacing may be utilized between each projection, such as a spacing of between about 15 mm to about 30 mm for the length designated as “a” in FIG. 5C.

Claims

We claim:

1. A toy construction and support pad for the placement and securing of configured or pre-manufactured figurines and/or action figures, comprising:

a base having a bottom surface and a top surface three or more solid projections being integral with the top surface of the base, with each projection having a height of about 1 mm to about 4 mm and a shape that is substantially in the form of a cylinder, octagon, or hexagonal prism to ensure a snug friction fit within the recessed bases of configured or pre-manufactured action figurines with said projections located at a distance of either 15 mm to 45 mm or preferably 15 to 35 mm away from the nearest adjacent second projection, and the second projection is located at a distance of either 15 mm to 50 mm or preferably 15 to 45 mm away from the nearest adjacent third projection in order to allow recessed inlets of pre-manufactured action figurines to mate with matching sized projections on the toy construction and support pad, and to keep the bases of the figurines a suitable and/or preferable distance apart to minimize unnecessary bending which may cause damage to figurine.

2. The toy construction and support pad of claim 1, wherein the bottom surface of the base comprises a substantially flat surface with optional texturing to allow for easy ground placement when placed on flat flooring or surface and helps ensure stability when posing figurines

3. The toy construction and support pad of claim 1, wherein the top surface of the base between each projection is substantially flat between projections to allow configured objects or figurine bases with fitting recessed inlets spatial and weight distribution and including the spacing required to keep the feet of the figurines apart at an optimal distance from each other which in turn allows the user an option to create a more detailed figurine pose if desired.

4. The toy construction and support pad of claim 1, wherein the cylinder-shaped projection has a diameter of 1 mm to 4 mm in order to allow recessed inlets of pre-manufactured action figurines to mate with matching sized projections on the toy construction and support pad.

5. The toy construction pad of claim 1, wherein the octagon shaped projection has a width, depth and height of between about 1 mm to about 4 mm in order to allow recessed inlets of pre-manufactured action figurines to mate with matching sized projections on the toy construction and support pad.

6. The toy construction pad of claim 1, wherein the hexagonal shaped projection has a width, depth and height of between about 1 mm to about 4 mm in order to allow recessed inlets of pre-manufactured action figurines to mate with matching sized projections on the toy construction and support pad.

7. The toy construction and support pad of claim 1, wherein the pad comprises six or more projections in order to accommodate the placement of two or more figurines to the pad using a figurine with recesses already molded into the bases of an existing pre-manufactured figurine.

8. A toy construction and play kit, comprising:

the pad of claim 1, and one or more configured or manufactured objects compatible with the toy construction and support pad having a bottom surface and may vary in shape and/or form and may or may not include a flat top surface comprising of one or more projections being integral with the top surface, with each projection having a diameter of about 1 mm to 4 mm and shape that is substantially in the form of a cylinder, octagon or hexagonal prism with the bottom surface having one or more recesses parallel to each other along the inner bottom section of said object and configured to mate with one or more projections of the pad having a diameter of about 1 mm to 4 mm and shape that is substantially in the form of a cylinder to allow user to create many different scenes and backdrops for action figurines.

9. The toy construction and play kit of claim 8, wherein the top surface of one or more objects comprises one or more projections being integral with the top surface, with each projection having a height of about 1 mm to about 4 mm and a shape that is substantially in the form of a cylinder, hexagon, or octagonal prism, wherein a first projection is located at a distance of about 15 mm to 35 mm, 15 mm to 45 mm 15 mm to about 50 mm away from the nearest adjacent second projection.