US20210275936A1

US20210275936A1 - Toy Building Assembly

Info

Publication number: US20210275936A1
Application number: US16/807,545
Authority: US
Inventors: Barton Lewis
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2020-03-03
Filing date: 2020-03-03
Publication date: 2021-09-09

Abstract

A toy building assembly for providing means of creating a variety of structures includes a plurality of elements. Each element comprises a plurality of first slats, which has a plurality of second slats engaged thereto. The first slats and the second slats are layered in a 1:2 ratio thereof to define two sets of second slats. Each set of second slats extends from a respective opposed end of the plurality of first slats to define a respective terminal connector. The sets of second slats have a gap positioned therebetween to define a medial connector. A respective terminal connector of one of the elements is selectively insertable into at least one of a terminal connector and a medial connector of at least one other of the elements. The elements of the plurality of elements thus are interconnectable to create a wide variety of structures.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

Not Applicable

INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM

Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(1) Field of the Invention

The disclosure relates to toy building assemblies and more particularly pertains to a new toy building assembly for providing means of creating a variety of structures.

(2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98

The prior art relates to toy building assemblies. Prior art toy building assemblies may comprise interlocking rings, cylinders, blocks, logs, slats, curved bars, and stick connectors.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a plurality of elements. Each element comprises a plurality of first slats, which has a plurality of second slats engaged thereto. The first slats and the second slats are of the same thickness and are layered in a 1:2 ratio thereof to define two sets of second slats. Each set of second slats extends from a respective opposed end of the plurality of first slats to define a respective terminal connector. The sets of second slats have a gap positioned therebetween to define a medial connector. A respective terminal connector of one of the elements is selectively insertable into at least one of a terminal connector and a medial connector of at least one other of the elements. The elements of the plurality of elements thus are interconnectable to create a wide variety of structures.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an isometric perspective view of a toy building assembly according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is an isometric perspective view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 is an isometric perspective view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a side view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 6 is an in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a detail view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 7 thereof, a new toy building assembly embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 will be described.
As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 7, the toy building assembly 10 generally comprises a plurality of elements 12. Each element 12 comprises a plurality of first slats 14, which has a plurality of second slats 16 engaged thereto. The first slats 14 and the second slats 16 are layered in a 1:2 ratio thereof to define two sets of second slats 40. Each set of second slats 40 extends from a respective opposed end 18 of the plurality of first slats 14 to define a respective terminal connector 20. The sets of second slats 40 have a gap 22 positioned therebetween to define a medial connector 24. FIG. 4 shows a side view of the element 12, wherein each of the terminal connectors 20 is characterized by a plurality of slots 26, and the medial connector 24 is characterized by a plurality of channels 28.
The first slats 14 and the second slats 16 may have the same thickness. As it is the thickness of the second slats 16 that determines spacing between the first slats 14, the second slats 16 need not be of the same thickness as the first slats 14 for the second slats 16 to be complementary to the slots 26 and the channels 28.
The plurality of first slats 14 and the plurality of second slats 16 define a plane 30. Each of the first slats 14 and the second slats 16 has a longitudinal axis 32, which is positioned in the plane 30, and a transverse axis 34 that is perpendicular to the plane 30. The element 12 is substantially rigid and comprises at least one of wood, plastic, bamboo, and metal. Each of the first slats 14 and the second slats 16 has opposing termini 36. The opposing termini 36 may be arcuate, as shown in FIGS. 1-6, to minimize a potential to scratch surfaces and skin.
A respective terminal connector 20 of one of the elements 12 is selectively insertable into at least one of a terminal connector 20 and a medial connector 24 of at least one other of the elements 12. The elements 12 of the plurality of elements 12 thus are interconnectable to create a wide variety of structures. As shown in FIG. 4, two elements 12 are alignable so that the terminal connector 20 of one element 12 is insertable into the terminal connector 20 of the other element 12. The elements 12 shown in FIG. 4 are in a linear arrangement, but also can be positioned transversely. The terminal connector 20 of one element 12 also can be engaged to the medial connector 24 of another element 12, as shown in FIG. 6. Additionally, one element 12 can be used to interconnect multiple other elements 12, as shown in FIG. 6 (center), wherein each of the terminal connectors 20 of one element 12 is coupled to the terminal connectors 20 of two additional elements 12 to extend a structure vertically and horizontally.
The present invention also anticipates a connecting slat 38, as shown in FIG. 6, which is selectively insertable into one of a terminal connector 20 and a medial connector 24 of one of the elements 12 and one of a terminal connector 20 and a medial connector 24 of another of the elements 12, to interconnect the elements 12.
Each of the first slats 14 of a respective plurality of first slats 14 are of equivalent length. The first slats 14 of each plurality of elements 12 has a respective length so that the plurality of elements 12 comprises elements 12 that have first slats 14 of a variety of lengths. For example, FIG. 1 shows an element 12 comprising first slats 14 of longer length, FIG. 2 shows an element 12 comprising first slats 14 of medial length, and FIG. 3 shows an element 12 comprising first slats 14 of shorter length.
The second slats 16 of the plurality of elements 12 are of equivalent length and each has equivalent overlap with adjacent first slats 14. Thus, the plurality of elements 12 comprises elements 12 that have medial connectors 24 of a variety of lengths and terminal connectors 20 of equivalent lengths. For example, FIG. 1 shows an element 12 comprising a medial connector 24 of longer length, FIG. 2 shows an element 12 comprising a medial connector 24 of medial length, and FIG. 3 shows an element 12 comprising a medial connector 24 of shorter length. The present invention also anticipates nonequivalent lengths of the second slats 16, both between the second slats 16 of different elements 12 and between the second slats 16 of the two sets of slats of a single element 12.
In use, the terminal connectors 20 and medial connectors 24 of the elements 12 are used to interconnect the plurality of elements 12 to create structures.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the elements is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.

Claims

1. A toy building assembly comprising:

an element comprising a plurality of first slats having a plurality of second slats engaged thereto, the first slats and the second slats being layered in a 1:2 ratio thereof defining two sets of second slats, each set of second slats extending from a respective opposed end of the plurality of first slats defining a respective terminal connector, the sets of second slats having a gap positioned therebetween defining a medial connector, respective central longitudinal axes of the first slats and the second slats being coplanar whereby the element is elongated, the medial connector being elongated and centrally positioned such that opposed ends of the medial connector are immediately adjacent to respective interior ends of the terminal connectors; and

the element comprising a plurality of elements, whereby a respective terminal connector of one of the elements is selectively insertable into at least one of a terminal connector and a medial connector of at least one other of the elements, such that the elements of the plurality of elements are interconnectable.

2. The toy building assembly of claim 1, wherein the first slats and the second slats have the same thickness.

3. (canceled)

4. The toy building assembly of claim 1, wherein the element is rigid.

5. The toy building assembly of claim 4, wherein the element comprises at least one of wood, plastic, bamboo, and metal.

6. The toy building assembly of claim 1, wherein each of the first slats and the second slats has opposing termini, the opposing termini being arcuate.

7. The toy building assembly of claim 1, wherein:

each of the first slats of a respective plurality of first slats is of equivalent length; and

the first slats of each plurality of elements having a respective length such that the plurality of elements comprises elements having first slats of a variety of lengths.

8. The toy building assembly of claim 7, wherein the second slats of the plurality of elements are of equivalent length and each has equivalent overlap with adjacent first slats, such that the plurality of elements comprises elements having medial connectors of a variety of lengths and terminal connectors of equivalent lengths.

9. The toy building assembly of claim 1, further including a connecting slat selectively insertable into one of a terminal connector and a medial connector of one of the elements and one of a terminal connector and a medial connector of another of the elements for interconnecting the elements.

10. A toy building assembly comprising:

an element comprising a plurality of first slats having a plurality of second slats engaged thereto, the first slats and the second slats having the same thickness, the first slats and the second slats being layered in a 1:2 ratio thereof defining two sets of second slats, each set of second slats extending from a respective opposed end of the plurality of first slats defining a respective terminal connector, the sets of second slats having a gap positioned therebetween defining a medial connector, the plurality of first slats and the plurality of second slats defining a plane, respective central longitudinal axes of the first slats and the second slats being coplanar whereby the element is elongated, the medial connector being elongated and centrally positioned such that opposed ends of the medial connector are immediately adjacent to respective interior ends of the terminal connectors, the element being rigid, the element comprising at least one of wood, plastic, bamboo, and metal, each of the first slats and the second slats having opposing termini, the opposing termini being arcuate;

the element comprising a plurality of elements, whereby a respective terminal connector of one of the elements is selectively insertable into at least one of a terminal connector and a medial connector of at least one other of the elements, such that the elements of the plurality of elements are interconnectable, each of the first slats of a respective plurality of first slats being of equivalent length, the first slats of each plurality of elements having a respective length such that the plurality of elements comprises elements having first slats of a variety of lengths, the second slats of the plurality of elements being of equivalent length, each second slat having equivalent overlap with adjacent first slats, such that the plurality of elements comprises elements having medial connectors of a variety of lengths and terminal connectors of equivalent lengths; and

a connecting slat selectively insertable into one of a terminal connector and a medial connector of one of the elements and one of a terminal connector and a medial connector of another of the elements for interconnecting the elements.