US20230390664A1

US20230390664A1 - A construction kit

Info

Publication number: US20230390664A1
Application number: US18/026,723
Authority: US
Inventors: Abraham Marthinus VERSTER
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2020-09-16
Filing date: 2021-09-10
Publication date: 2023-12-07
Also published as: WO2022058855A9; WO2022058855A1; EP4213956A1

Abstract

A construction kit is disclosed. The kit includes a plurality of connector hubs, links and connectors. A connector may be removably connected to a connector hub via a link. A link may be removably connected to a connector hub. Each link is configured such that a linking distance of the link, which is defined as the distance between a link face of the link and a vertex of the connector hub to which it is connected in use, is or remains substantially constant irrespective of an angular position of the link relative to the connector hub. Each link defines a linking axis which intersects a vertex of the connector hub to which the link is connected, in use. The kit may also include other components, such as couplings permitting connectors to be attached to each other, as well as integrated hub-and-link components and integrated connector-and-link components.

Description

This application claims priority to South African provisional patent application number 2020/05732, filed on 16 Sep. 2020, the contents of which is incorporated by reference herein.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a construction kit. The invention also relates to a connector hub and a link for use in the construction kit.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

There are a variety of so-called “hub-and-strut” construction kits, also known as “rod-and-hub” construction kits, available in the market. These kits allow a user to build a structure by connecting elongate struts or rods to each other using hub components that are designed to receive the ends of a number of the struts/rods. For ease of reference, these struts or rods are referred to as “connectors” throughout this specification and the hubs are referred to as “connector hubs”, or simply “hubs”.
Construction kits of the type identified above typically include a plurality of hubs and connectors, with ends of the connectors being removably connectable to the hubs, e.g. by way of friction fit or snap-fit connections. The hubs are often utilised as corner pieces in a structure, but they can be utilised virtually anywhere in the structure to secure connectors to each other. Kits of this nature are used recreationally and for more formal purposes, such as structural modelling. In the context of this specification, the term “construction kit” should be interpreted broadly and is not limited 30 to a specific application, e.g., its application is not limited to toys.
A number of known construction kits include hubs with numerous connection points, allowing connectors to be connected to a hub at various angles. Some of the kits also include linking components, referred to in this specification as “links”. A link may form part of a hub or it may be removably connectable thereto. A link is typically configured to provide additional connection points and/or connection angles when connected to the hub. A connector may thus be attached to a hub via a link, e.g., to allow the connector to extend at a certain angle relative to the link, which angle would not have been possible by means of a simple (direct) connection of the connector to the hub.
One example of a known construction kit is described in United States Patent Application Publication No. US 2012/0034839, which cites R. M. Murphy as the inventor. This application discloses a connector hub with two or more subparts. Each subpart has a receiving element with a connector-receiving socket emanating therefrom. The subparts may be rotatable with respect to one another along a common axis. The subparts thus function as adjustable links allowing a user to adjust the angle of a connector extending from the hub.
The Inventor has found that there are a number of drawbacks associated with the construction kit of US 2012/0034839. In particular, while the connector hub provides a number of adjustable connection points, these are provided along a single axis. This is inherently limiting and makes the construction of large or intricate structures relatively complex and/or cumbersome. Furthermore, the subparts/links may lack the required directional stability and strength as they may be designed to rotate freely about the axis and rely on thin sections that will provide limited mechanical strength.
Another example of a known construction kit is described in United States Patent Application Publication No. US 2014/0045403 (also citing R. M. Murphy as the inventor). This application discloses a connector hub with one or more subparts having zero, one or more connector-receiving sockets emanating from each of the subparts. In some embodiments, the subparts are rotatable with respect to one another along multiple common axes. The application describes sub-elements (which may be in the shape of a torus) to which connectors can be attached in such a manner that they are able to revolve or bend about a common axis.
While the kit disclosed in US 2014/0045403 allows for the creation of diverse and selectable angles, thus permitting the creation of more shapes and configurations than, for instance, US 2012/0034839, the Inventor has also identified a number of drawbacks associated with this construction kit. In particular, the Inventor has found that the design provides a maximum of two axes for connection points, which the Inventor has found to be restrictive. In addition, this construction kit may not provide sufficient angular stability. This can be attributed at least partially to the configuration which allows links to revolve or bend with freedom about the hub. Furthermore, the Inventor has found that this kit is relatively complex, making it difficult or cumbersome to construct large or intricate structures.
Another construction kit of which the Inventor is aware is the toy product range offered by Engino™. Certain features utilised in this product range are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,651,914, citing C. Sisamos as the inventor. The Engino™ design makes use of snap-fit links that are connected to hubs in order to create various angles for connecting connectors to a hub. Some of these links are adjustable about a pivot point and may be referred to as flexible links. The Engino™ system is advantageous in that it allows the user to create virtually any angle at a corner or hub.
However, the Inventor has identified drawbacks associated with the Engino™ construction system. Firstly, when a flexible link is used, the distance (referred to in this specification as the “linking distance”) between the point or plane where the connector engages with an outer face of the link (referred to in this specification as the “link face”) and the vertex defined by the point where the primary axes of the hub meet, may change as the angle is adjusted, and this linking distance may be different for different types of links. Secondly, the new axis defined by the link, which may be referred to as a new “vector”, does not always intersect the abovementioned vertex. As a result, the Engino™ design cannot effectively make use of a fixed set of standard connector lengths. Instead, extendable connectors are required. This is undesirable as extendable connectors may be difficult to use, more expensive to manufacture and/or require complex instructions to users. A further issue with the design is that because the angle of the links is flexible around two axes, extensive bracing is needed to construct strong structures.
In light of the above, a need has been identified for an improved hub-and-strut type construction kit.
Embodiments of the present invention aim to provide a construction kit and components thereof that are capable of addressing some of the issues identified above, at least to some extent.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a construction kit comprising:

- a plurality of connector hubs, wherein each connector hub has a spherical or sphere-like shape with a substantially hollow central zone and includes
  - a first pair of connecting formations defining a first axis of the connector hub between them,
  - a second pair of connecting formations defining a second axis of the connector hub between them, the first axis and the second axis being orthogonal to each other and intersecting so as to define a vertex of the connector hub, and
  - a third axis which is orthogonal to the first axis and the second axis and intersects both the first axis and the second axis at the vertex, at least one additional connecting formation being defined on the third axis;
- a plurality of links, wherein each link has a hub attachment formation configured to mate with each of the connecting formations of the connector hub for removable connection of the link to the connector hub, the hub attachment formation including a male connecting element and a flange, the male connecting element being configured to be connected to one of the connecting formations of the connector hub along the axis associated with that connecting formation, the axis being one of the first axis, the second axis and the third axis, and the flange defining a mating surface which is shaped and dimensioned to mate with a complemental surface of the connector hub when the male connecting element is connected to the connecting formation, each link further having a connector attachment formation located at or near a link face of the link, the link face being substantially perpendicular to a linking axis defined by the link, wherein the linking axis of each link intersects the vertex of the connector hub to which the link is connected, in use, wherein each link is configured such that a linking distance of the link, which is defined as the distance between the link face of the link and the vertex of the connector hub to which it is connected in use, is or remains substantially constant irrespective of an angular position of the link relative to the connector hub, and wherein the connector hubs and the links are shaped and dimensioned such that, when two of the links are to be connected to the same connector hub in use, the connector hub is capable of accommodating connection of the two links to adjacent connecting formations of the connector hub provided that there is an angular gap of at least 15 degrees between the linking axes of the two links; and
- a plurality of elongate connectors, wherein each connector has end formations at both ends thereof, each end formation being configured to mate with the connector attachment formation of the link for removable connection of the connector to the link, and via the link, to the connector hub.

All of the links in the kit may have a substantially equal linking distance.
A connector connected to a link may be connected co-axially to the linking axis of the link and the linking axis may extend at an angle relative to the axis of the connector hub along which the male connecting element is connected, in use.
The links may include angled links, wherein for each angled link, the angle relative to the axis of the connector hub along which the male connecting element is connected is greater than zero.
The links may include straight links, wherein for each straight link, the angle relative to the axis of the connector hub along which the male connecting element is connected is zero.
Each link may define both the linking axis and a connecting axis, wherein the connecting axis is configured so as to be co-axial with axis of the connector hub along which the male connecting element is connected, in use.
Preferably, at least some of the angled links provide different angles between the connecting axis and the linking axis.
Preferably, the linking axis and the connecting axis extend through the vertex of the connector hub to which the link is connected, in use.
For each straight link, the linking axis and the connecting axis is the same axis.
The links may be rotatably but rigidly connected to the hubs.
The connecting formations in each pair of connecting formations of a particular connector hub are located at opposite sides or surfaces of the connector hub.
Each connector is substantially cylindrical in shape, e.g., they may be in the form of rods.
In some embodiments, the connecting formations of the connector hubs and the connector attachment formations of the links are female parts, and the end formations of the connectors are male parts.
In some embodiments, the links are configured to be connected to the connector hubs by way of snap-fit or friction fit connections and the connectors are configured to be connected to the links by way of snap-fit or friction fit connections.
The kit may further includes at least one coupling which is configured to allow two connectors to be removably connected to each other through connection of the connectors to respective ends of the coupling.
The kit may further includes at least one integrated hub-and-link component, the integrated hub-and-link component having a hub section to which links can be removably connected and a link section to which at least one of the connectors can be removably connected.
The kit may further include at least one integrated connector-and-link component, the integrated connector-and-link component being configured to allow two connector hubs to be removably connected to each other through connection of the connector hubs to respective ends of the integrated connector-and-link component.
At least some of the connectors may have different lengths and the different lengths may be based on a specific length sequence.
In one example the lengths of the connectors may conform to the following length sequence: each connector has a connector length of bx, as measured between the vertices of the two connector hubs to which it connects, in use, calculated using a selected base length b0 and the following formula for additional lengths: b1=b0*√2, b2=b1*√2, b3=b2*√2, etc.
In another example the lengths of the connectors may conform to the following length sequence: each connector has a connector length of cx, as measured between the vertices of the two connector hubs to which it connects, in use, calculated using the formula cx=bx*√3/√2, wherein bx is calculated according the above example.
In some embodiments the connector hub can accommodate two adjacent links as long as the angular gap is at least 30 degrees.
In some embodiments, the at least one additional connecting formation may be a third pair of connecting formations defining the third axis. Alternatively, the third axis may include only one connecting formation. The connector hub may thus include, for instance, 5 or 6 connecting formations.
The construction kit is designed such that one or more links may be attached to the connector hub in order to form additional angles, i.e., to permit the connection of connectors at desired angles relative to the first axis, the second axis and/or the third axis of the connector hub. This is referred to in parts of this specification as the creation of additional “vectors”. Embodiments of the invention provide for the linking distance to remain the same for all newly created vectors associated with a particular 30 connector hub. This equal linking distance also applies to integrated hub-and-link components.
In some embodiments, all except one of the links in the construction kit will be angled links, i.e. angled relative to the relevant axis of the connecting hub. Each angled link may define a linking axis configured such that, in use, a connector connected to the link is co-axial to the linking axis and the linking axis extends at an angle relative to the axis of the connector hub associated with the angled link, e.g. the axis of the hub associated with the connecting formation to which the link is connected (which is one of the first axis, the second axis and the third axis).
Embodiments of the invention provide for the linking axis to intersect the vertex of the connector hub to which the link is connected, in use. An integrated hub-and-link component may also have a linking axis to which this principle applies, i.e. its linking axis also intersects the vertex of the hub section which is integrally formed with the link section. The linking distance may be taken from the point where the plane defined by the link face intersects the linking axis up to the point defining the vertex.
Each link has both a linking axis and a connecting axis, as further defined below. For angled links, the linking axis is angled relative to the connecting axis. For other links, namely straight links, the linking axis and the connecting axis are the same axis. Embodiments of the invention provide for the linking axis and the connecting axis of each link to extend through the vertex of the connector hub to which it is connected or with which it is integrally formed (in the case of an integrated hub-and-link component).
The link may define the connecting axis at or near the hub attachment formation which, when the link is connected to the connector hub at a particular connecting formation or integrally formed with the connector hub, is co-axial to the axis of the connector hub associated with that connecting formation.
At least one of the links may be configured to be rigidly but rotatably connected/connectable to the connector hub such that, when the link is connected to the connector hub at a particular connecting formation, it is rotatable about the axis of the connector hub associated with that connecting formation while maintaining an angle rigidly relative to that axis. In use, the link may be rotated while the linking axis remains oriented so as to intersect the vertex.
The connector hub may have a spherical or sphere-like shape and has a substantially hollow central zone.
The typical dimensions of a spherical hub will be a diameter of less than 16 mm but more than 5 mm. However, dimensions may vary and these are examples only. For instance, in some embodiments one or more links may be integrated into the hub to form the integrated hub-and-link components, which would increase the dimensions.
The typical dimensions of a connector is a round cross-section of diameter 5 mm to mm, with varying lengths from a minimum of 5 mm to a maximum of 300 mm. However, dimensions may vary and these are examples only.
The typical dimensions of a link is a round cross section of diameter or side length of 5 mm to 10 mm, while the lengths of the links will vary from 10 mm to 25 mm. However, dimensions may vary and these are examples only.
It will be appreciated that various types of connections may be used to removably connect links to connector hubs, connectors hubs to connectors and/or links to connectors.
In one embodiment, the connecting formations of the connector hub are female parts, e.g. slots or openings/holes, and the hub attachment formations of the links and the end formations of the connectors include male parts, e.g. male connectors configured to mate with the slots or openings by way of a snap-fit or friction fit. In such a case, the connector attachment formations of the links may also be female parts, to allow a connector (which has male snap-fit or friction fit formations at both ends) to be removably connected to the link.
Alternatively, the connector hubs, connectors and links may be provided with suitable screw-threaded formations. In one embodiment, the connecting formations of the connector hub are screw-threaded (female) slots, and the link's hub attachment formations and connector's end formations are screw-threaded (male) spigots or projections. In such a case, the link's connector attachment formations may be similar female parts, to allow the male connector to be removably connected to the link. The link may have a body and a separate male screw-threaded component which is configured to permit the body to be screwed into the connector hub.
In addition to the components already mentioned above, one or more of the following elements may be included in a construction kit:

- combinations of links, i.e. a single link that provides more than one linking angle at a single hub attachment formation. Two examples are: (1) a link with one linking angle co-axial with one axis of the hub and another at 45 degrees to it and (2) a link with one linking angle 30 degrees to the axis of the hub and another at minus 30 degrees to it;
- a surface element which can be attached to connectors with clips and creates a surface between connectors; and/or
- a rotatable axle to be inserted through a hub attachment formation to enable the attachment of wheels and other rotatable elements.

In accordance with a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a connector hub for use in a construction kit substantially as described above, the connector hub comprising:

- a first pair of connecting formations defining a first axis of the connector hub between them;
- a second pair of connecting formations defining a second axis of the connector hub between them, the first axis and the second axis being orthogonal to each other and intersecting so as to define a vertex of the connector hub; and
- a third axis which is orthogonal to the first axis and the second axis and intersects both the first axis and the second axis at the vertex, at least one additional connecting formation being defined on the third axis.

In accordance with a third aspect of the invention there is provided link for use in a construction kit substantially as described above with a connector hub substantially as described above, the link comprising:

- a hub attachment formation configured to mate with each of the connecting formations of the connector hub for connection of the link to the connector hub, the hub attachment formation including a male connecting element and a flange, the male connecting element being configured to be connected to one of the connecting formations of the connector hub along the axis associated with that connecting formation, the axis being one of the first axis, the second axis or the third axis of the connector hub, and the flange defining a mating surface which is shaped and dimensioned to mate with a complemental surface of the connector hub when the male connecting element is connected to the connecting formation; and
- a connector attachment formation located at or near a link face of the link, the link face being substantially perpendicular to a linking axis defined by the link, wherein the linking axis of the link intersects the vertex of the connector hub to which the link is connected, in use, and wherein the link is configured such that a linking distance of the link, which is defined as the distance between the link face of the link and the vertex of the connector hub to which it is connected in use, is or remains substantially constant irrespective of an angular position of the link relative to the connector hub.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a connector hub of an embodiment of a construction kit according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional perspective view of the connector hub, illustrating only “half” of the connector hub so as better to show certain features thereof;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a plurality of links which may form part of the construction kit;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the connector hub of the construction kit, with one of the links connected thereto;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the connector hub and the link of FIG. 4 ;

FIG. 6 is a sectional perspective view of the connector hub and the link of FIG. 4 ;

FIG. 7 is a front view of the connector hub of the construction kit with four links, the components being shown in sectional view to illustrate the constant linking distance when forming additional vectors according to embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 8 is a plan view showing three spaced apart connector hubs, each hub having two links connected thereto, shown to illustrate the manner in which adjacent connecting formations (“holes”) in a hub can be used to connect links adjacent to each other;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a connector hub with an integrated straight link, referred to as an “integrated hub-and-link component”, which may form part of the construction kit;

FIG. 10 is a sectional perspective view of the integrated hub-and-link component of FIG. 8 ;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a connector hub with two integrated straight links, which is another type of integrated hub-and-link component, which may form part of the construction kit;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of an example of a connector forming part of the construction kit;

FIG. 13 is a sectional perspective view of the connector of FIG. 11 ;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of an example of a coupling which may form part of the construction kit;

FIG. 15 is a perspective view illustrating two of the connectors as shown in FIG. 12 coupled to each other using the coupling of FIG. 14 ;

FIG. 16 is a plan view showing three spaced apart components each referred to as an “integrated connector-and-link component” (as these components combine features of a connector and a link);

FIG. 17 is a sectional perspective view of the three integrated connector-and-link components of FIG. 16 ;

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a first stage in the construction of a pyramid-like structure using some components of the construction kit;

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a second stage in the construction of the pyramid-like structure;

FIG. 20 is a perspective view of a third stage in the construction of the pyramid-like structure;

FIG. 21 is a perspective view of a fourth stage in the construction of the pyramid-like structure;

FIG. 22 is a perspective view of a fifth and final stage in the construction of the pyramid-like structure; and

FIG. 23 is a perspective view of a SUV-like structure/design which can be constructed using components of the construction kit.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION WITH REFERENCE TO THE DRAWINGS

The following description of the invention is provided as an enabling teaching of the invention, is illustrative of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. It will be understood that changes can be made to the embodiment/s described, while still attaining beneficial results of the present invention. Furthermore, it will be understood that some benefits of the present invention can be attained by selecting some of the features of the present invention without utilising other features. Accordingly, those skilled in the art will recognise that modifications and adaptations to the present invention are possible and can even be desirable in certain circumstances, and are a part of the present invention.
An embodiment of a construction kit is illustrated in the drawings. The construction kit includes the following primary components: connector hubs 10 (hereinafter referred to as “hubs”), links 30 and connectors 60. The kit includes different types of links 30 of various angles (see FIG. 3 which best illustrates the different links 30).
The kit also includes additional components: hubs with integrated links known as “integrated hub-and-link components” 86, 88 (see FIGS. 9 to 11 ) as well as couplings 90 which can be used to connect connectors 60 to each other (see FIG. 15 ) and “integrated connector-and-link components” (see FIGS. 16 and 17 ).
Turning to the “hub” in FIG. 1 , the hub 10 includes three pairs of connecting formations in the form of circular holes 20. The hub 10 thus includes six of these holes 20, which define connection points for the removable connection of links 30 to the hub 10. The holes 20 reveal a hollow interior zone 29 of the hub 10. The holes 20 are connected to, i.e. provide openings into/are in fluid communication with, the hollow interior zone 29. Specifically, each hole 20 leads into a cylindrical channel which in turn leads into the hollow interior zone 29, which has a larger diameter than the channel.
The holes 20 define three axes which resemble the X-Y-Z axes of the Cartesian coordinate system. A first pair of the holes 20 is located in opposite surfaces/ends of the hub 20 and they define a first axis 22 of the connector hub 10. A second pair of the holes 20 is located in opposite surfaces/ends of the hub 20 and they define a second axis 24 of the connector hub 10. A third pair of the holes 20 is located in opposite surfaces/ends of the hub 20 and they define a third axis 26 of the connector hub 10.
The axes 22, 24, 26 are all orthogonal to each other and the three axes 22, 24, 26 intersect at a centre point of the hub 10, which is referred to herein as the vertex 28 of the hub 10. This can be equated to the (0,0,0) coordinate in the Cartesian coordinate system (with the vertex 28 being the (0,0,0) point). Each axis 22, 24, 26 runs through the central points of the two holes 20 it is associated with and they intersect at the vertex 28.
Each hole 20 is shaped and dimensioned to function as a female snap-fit connection point. These holes 20 can mate with both the links 30 as will be more fully described below.
Turning to FIG. 3 , the kit may include a plurality of links 30. Some examples of these links 30 are shown in FIG. 3 , marked 32, 34, 36, 38, 40 and 42. The link 32 is a straight link while the other links 34, 36, 38, 40, 42 are angled links.
To illustrate the structure and certain design principles of the links 30, the link 38, which is a 45° angled link, is used as an example below. Unless otherwise indicated or readily apparent from the drawings, the principles also apply to the other links 30.
The link 38 is shown connected to the hub 10 in FIGS. 4 to 6 . The link 38 has a hub attachment formation 44 at one end thereof and a connector attachment formation 46 another end thereof.
As is best shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 , each hub attachment formation 44 includes a male snap-fit formation 45 and a rounded or curved flange 47. The male snap-fit formation 45 has a generally cylindrical external shape with an enlarged free end and is configured to extend through the channel defined by the hole 20 such that its free end “snap-fits” into the wider interior zone 29 of the hub 10, for removable connection of the link 38 to the hub 10 as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 . The flange 47 is shaped and dimensioned to conform to the contours of the outer surface of the hub 10, thereby “cupping” the spherical hub 10 when the link 38 is attached thereto. More specifically, the flange 47 has a mating surface 47A which is complementally shaped to the outer surface of the hub 10 extends around a base of the formation 45 (with which it is integrally formed) and this mating surface 47A has a substantially inverse spherical shape so as to mate with the spherical outer surface of the hub 10. In other words, the hub attachment formation 44 comprises a substantially cylindrical male connecting element, being the snap-fit formation 45, which is integrally formed with a cut-out of a spherical “skin”, being the flange 47. The formation 45 is inserted into the hub 10 aligned with the relevant axis of the hub 10, while the flange 47 mates with an outer surface of the hub 10 to ensure a stable connection.
When the link 38 is connected to the hub 10, it is rotatable about the axis 26 of the hub 10 associated with the hole 20 in which the formation 45 is inserted.
The connector attachment formation 46 at the other end of the link 38 is a female snap-fit formation configured to mate with ends of the connectors 60 which have complementary male parts.
This allows connectors 60 to be connected to hubs 10 via links 30 to create additional angles, or vectors. In this embodiment of the construction kit, each link 30 has a link face 48 which is defined at an outer surface of the end of the link 30 where the connector attachment formation 46 is located, and this link face 48 is perpendicular to the linking axis described below.
The link 38 (and all of the other angled links 34, 36, 40, 42) defines a linking axis 50 (best shown in FIG. 5 ) configured such that, in use, a connector 60 connected to the link 38 is co-axial to the linking axis 50 and the linking axis 50 extends at an angle relative to the axis of the hub 100 associated with the hole 20 to which the link is connected. For instance, in FIGS. 4 to 6 , the linking axis 50 extends at a 45° angle relative to the axis 26 of the connector hub 10 associated with the hole 20 in which the link 38 is fitted. The linking axis 50 intersects the vertex 28 of the hub 10. This is best shown in FIGS. 5 to 7 .
The links 30 are connectable to the hubs 10 such that they are fairly rigidly attached thereto, but are rotatable about the axis of the hub 10 associated with the hole 20 to which the link 30 is connected. This enhances the functionality of the construction kit without compromising structural integrity which is facilitated by the flange 47. In use, irrespective of the angular position of the link 30 relative to the hub 10, the linking axis will always intersect the vertex 28 when the link 30 is connected in the hole 20. As mentioned above, linking axis 50 is perpendicular to the link face 48 (as an example, see the indication of the 90° angle marked “51” in FIG. 7 ).
It will be appreciated that the straight link 32 technically also has a linking axis, but this linking axis is at an angle of zero relative to the axis associated with the hole 20 associated with the link 32 in use. In other words, the linking axis of the straight link 32 is co-axial with the relevant axis of the hub 10.
In addition to the linking axis 50, the angled links also each define a connecting axis which is co-axial to the axis of the connector hub 10 associated with the relevant hole 20. The connecting axis is thus the axis along which the link 30 “connects” to the hub 10 while the linking axis is the axis along which the connector 60 “links” to the link 30 and the hub 10. In FIGS. 5 and 6 , the connecting axis of the link 38 is thus the same axis as the axis 26 of the hub 10. The links 30 are thus rotatable about their connecting axes when connected to the hub 10.
It will be appreciated that in straight links such as the link 32, the linking axis and the connecting axis is the same axis and, when the straight link is connected to the hub in a particular hole 20, this axis is co-axial to the axis (22/24/26) of the hub 10 associated with that particular hole 20.
It will be clear from FIG. 3 that the links 30 provide different angles for attachment of connectors 60 to hubs 10. In this example, the following linking angles are provided (taken from the connecting axis of each link):

- The link 32: 0°
- The link 34: 30°
- The link 36: 36°
- The link 38: 45°
- The link 40: 60°
- The link 42: 90°

This is not intended to provide an exhaustive indication of the possible links that may be included in a construction kit in accordance with the invention. Furthermore, in some embodiments the kit may include “flexible links” which have adjustable angles/linking axes.
The links 30 have all been designed such that a linking distance of each link 30, which is defined as the distance between the link face 48 of the link 30 and the vertex 28 of the hub 10 to which it is connected in use, remains constant irrespective of the angular position of the link 30 relative to the hub 10 and such that the linking distances applicable to all of the links 30 in the kit are equal. The linking distance may specifically be taken from the point where the linking axis of the link 30 intersects the link face 48 (or where it intersects the plane defined by the link face 48) up to the vertex 28. This point “P” and the linking distance “D” are illustrated in FIG. 7 . In this non-limiting example, the linking distance “D” of each link is 16.5 mm as shown in FIG. 7 . The design described above thus enables the linking distance “D” to remain the same for all newly created vectors associated with a particular hub 10.
A further feature of the kit, in this embodiment of the invention, is that the hubs and links are shaped and dimensions such that when two links 30 are to be connected to the same hub 10 (“shared hub”), the shared hub 10 will always accommodate the attachment of the two links 30 to adjacent (neighbouring) connection points/connecting formations of the shared hub 30 as long as there is at least a 30 degree or greater angular gap between their respective vectors, i.e. the respective linking axes of the links 30. This is illustrated in FIG. 8 , which shows three examples. The first hub 10A in FIG. 8 has a straight link 32 and a 60° link 40 in adjacent connecting formations/points, the second hub 10B has a 15° link 39 and a 45° link 38 in adjacent connecting formations/points, and the third hub 100 has a 30° link 34 and a 90° link 42 in adjacent connecting formations/points. The linking axis of each link in FIG. 8 is shown in broken lines. As the angle between the linking axes of the adjacent links is 30 degrees in each case, the hubs 10A, 10B, 10C can accommodate these adjacent connections without obstruction or interference. The angle between the adjacent linking axes is marked as A1, A2 and A3 for the hubs 10A, 10B and 10C respectively.
As mentioned above, the kit can also include additional components. One such additional component is an integrated hub-and-link component. FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate an example of an integrated hub-and-link component 86. The component 86 has a hub section 92 which is similar to the hub 10, but with a link section 94 similar to the straight link 32 integrally formed at one of the connection points of the hub section 92. The other five connection points, or holes 98, are the same as the holes of the hub 10. The link section 94 has a connector attachment formation 96 which is the same as the formation 46 described above, for connection of a connector 60. It will be appreciated that the link section 94 has a link axis which is co-axial with the axis of the hub section 92 which is associated with the link section 94, i.e. the axis 100.
FIG. 11 shows another example of an integrated hub-and-link component 88. In the example of FIG. 10 , the component 88 has a hub section 102 which is similar to the hub 10, but with two straight link sections 104, 106 (similar to the straight link 32 and the link section 94) integrally formed at two of the connection points of the hub section 100. The link sections 104, 106 extend at a 90 degree angle relative to each other. The other four connection points, or holes 108, are the same as the holes 20 of the hub 10 and can thus receive separate links and/or connectors in the manner already described.
FIGS. 12 and 13 show an example of a connector 60. In this example of a construction kit, each connector 60 has a rod-like shape with a hollow cylindrical body 61 and male parts in the form of snap-fit formations 62 at each end thereof. A construction kit may include connectors 60 of various lengths, e.g. a fixed series of standard lengths (examples of which are provided below). These male formations 62 are configured to be connected to a hub 10 via a link 30 or to the link section of an integrated hub-and-link, as explained above.
The construction kit may also include one or more couplings (or couplers) such as the coupling 90 shown in FIGS. 14 and 15 . The coupling 90 has a hollow cylindrical body 110 with female parts in the form of female snap-fit formations 112 at each end of the body 112. The female parts are shaped and dimensioned to mate with the male parts 62 of the connectors 60, thus allowing a coupling 90 to be connected at each end thereof to a connector 60 as shown in FIG. 15 .
Another additional part that may form part of the construction kit is an integrated connector-and-link component. Three examples of an integrated connector-and- link component 122, 124, 126 are shown in FIGS. 16 and 17 . The components 122, 124, 126 can be used to connect to hubs 10 to each other and the component 126 is further described as an example below.
The integrated connector-and-link component 126 has a body 128 and two ends 130, 132. In this example (i.e. the component 126 shown at the bottom of FIGS. 16 and 17 ) the body 128 is elongate and has a generally cylindrical shape with end regions 134 of enlarged diameter. A male snap-fit formation 136 protrudes from each end region 134. The formation 136 is substantially identical to the a male snap-fit formation 45 of the links 30. Accordingly, the male snap-fit formation 136 has a generally cylindrical external shape with an enlarged free end 138 and is configured to extend through the channel defined by a hole 20 in the hub 10 such that its free end “snap-fits” into the wider interior zone 29 of the hub 10. Each end 130, 132 of the component 126 can thus be connected to a different hub 10 and in this way the component 126 is used to connect two hubs 10 to each other in a removable manner. The enlarged end regions 134 are similar to the flanges 47 in that they define curved/rounded mating surfaces 134A (see FIG. 17 ) which conform to the spherical outer contours of the hub 10. As such the components 122, 124, 126 function both as “connectors” and “links” and may also be referred to as “hub connectors”.
FIGS. 18 to 22 illustrate the manner in which a pyramid-like structure 80 (see its final form in FIG. 22 ) can be constructed using some parts of the construction kit described above.
Referring to FIG. 18 , two straight links 32 are connected to a hub 10 such that they extend perpendicularly to each other. In other words, one of the links 32 is connected to a hole 20 of a first axis of the hub 10 and the other link 32 is connected to a hole 20 of a second axis of the hub 10. Alternatively, an integrated hub and link with two perpendicular straight links, such as the component 88 shown in FIG. 11 , can be used for the same purpose.
Then, as shown in FIG. 19 , an angled link 38 is connected to the hole 20 of a third axis of the hub 10. This forms a bottom corner section 82 of the structure to be built.
Referring to FIGS. 20 and 21 , four bottom corner sections 82 are then connected to each other by way of connectors 60 connecting adjacent straight links 32 (or straight link sections of integrated hub and link components) to each other, and the angled links 38 are coupled to connectors 60 such that the latter four connectors 60 extend in the direction of an (to be formed) apex section 84.
Referring to FIG. 22 , the apex section 84 is formed by connecting four angled links 38 to a hub 10 in a circumferential arrangement such that the linking axes of the respective links 40 can be aligned with the four connectors 60 extending upwardly from the bottom corner sections 82. The apex section 84 is then secured to these four connectors 60, thereby forming the structure 80.
As a further example, FIG. 23 illustrates a sport utility vehicle (SUV) like structure 140 which can be constructed using a kit with the components described above. The structure 140 is constructed using (inter alia) hubs 10 as described above, connectors as described above, of different lengths (see the different lengths of 60A, 60B and 60C in FIG. 23 ), different types of links 30 as described above, as well as couplings 90 as described above to connect connectors to each other and integrated connector-and-link components 124 as described above for connecting hubs 10 to each other.
It will be appreciated that to construct the structure 140, integrated hub-and-link components such as the component 86 and/or 88 can be used either instead of the hubs 10 or in addition to the hubs 10.
The structure 80 and the structure 140 are illustrated merely as examples of the relative ease with which fairly complex structures may be formed using the construction kit.
It should be understood that the connector attachment formation 46 is shaped and dimensioned to receive the male snap-fit part of the connector 60.
As described above, the removable connections between hubs 10, links 30 and connectors 60 in the construction kit, as well as the connections used in the other components 86, 88, 90, 122, 124, 126, are achieved by way of snap-fit arrangements. However, other connections may be employed in alternative embodiments.
Furthermore, the hubs 10 need not be spherical and other shapes and designs may be employed.
It will be apparent from the descriptions above that the Inventor has developed a simple, but highly useful, effective and versatile construction kit.
The construction kit as described herein may be used to construct complex structures which have high angular and directional stability and require little bracing. Furthermore, only one type of hub and a limited number of links may be required, while all connectors may also be identical except for length. This can facilitate the reduction of manufacturing costs.
Merely by way of non-limiting examples, the table below includes an indication of the components that may be included in typical kits:


		Average kit
		All platonic	Complex kit
Pyramid	Cube	solids kit	SUV

Hub	1		20
Hub/link combo	4	8	12	54
(integrated hub-
and-link)
Links	8	8	92	53
Link/connector				10
combo
(integrated
connector-and-
link)
Link combo			12	8
Connectors	8	12	30	109
Couplings				8
TOTAL	21	28	166	242

As mentioned above the design of the kit allows the use of standard length sequences in the connectors 60. Two exemplary length sequences are explained below. They have both been designed so that users can build several right angled triangles accurately and at various scales.
A first example, sequence #1, has connector lengths of bx, as measured between the two centres (vertices) of the two hubs to which it connects, calculated using a base length b0 which can be any length, but as an example 48/√2=33.94 mm may be used. To calculate the rest of the lengths in the sequence, the following formula is employed:
b1=b0*√2
b2=b1*√2
b3=b2*√2, etc.
This sequence, i.e. sequence #1, allows a user to build 45° degree right angled triangles at various scales.
A second example, sequence #2, has connector lengths of cx, where cx=bx*√3/√2. This sequence, in conjunction with sequence #1, allows a user to build additional right angled triangles, such as a 30°/60° and a 35.26°/54.74 right angled triangle. In addition, the two sequences in combination with the coupling component as described above allows many different lengths (and triangles) to be created, which gives users a more flexible system. In fact, with 9 lengths (5 from sequence #1 and 4 from sequence #2) and one coupling, the system can create 55 unique different lengths.
The Inventor has found that the combination of the hubs and links described herein provide highly simple yet effective and multi-functional structural components, which may be used as (but are not limited to) corner parts for larger structures.
As mentioned above, in at least some embodiments of the invention, the linking distance is substantially the same for all new vectors formed and irrespective of the angle employed between a connector hub and its connected link. These new vectors also intersect the vertex of the hub at all times. This may allow the kit to employ a fixed and fairly small set of standard connector lengths and may thus obviate the need for extendable connectors. These improved design principles may further reduce the overall cost to manufacture and supply the construction kit. Any suitable manufacturing technique may be used to manufacture the components of the kit, e.g. injection moulding or additive manufacturing using a suitable plastic/polymeric material.
Known hub-and-strut kits are often complex and require complicated instructions to users, whereas the Inventor's systems may typically associate a set of fixed angles with a set of fixed lengths which can easily be mastered by users.

Claims

1. A construction kit comprising:

a plurality of connector hubs, wherein each connector hub has a spherical or sphere-like shape with a substantially hollow central zone and includes

a first pair of connecting formations defining a first axis of the connector hub between them,

a second pair of connecting formations defining a second axis of the connector hub between them, the first axis and the second axis being orthogonal to each other and intersecting so as to define a vertex of the connector hub, and

a third axis which is orthogonal to the first axis and the second axis and intersects both the first axis and the second axis at the vertex, at least one additional connecting formation being defined on the third axis;

a plurality of links, wherein each link has a hub attachment formation configured to mate with each of the connecting formations of the connector hub for removable connection of the link to the connector hub, the hub attachment formation including a male connecting element and a flange, the male connecting element being configured to be connected to one of the connecting formations of the connector hub along the axis associated with that connecting formation, the axis being one of the first axis, the second axis and the third axis, and the flange defining a mating surface which is shaped and dimensioned to mate with a complemental surface of the connector hub when the male connecting element is connected to the connecting formation, each link further having a connector attachment formation located at or near a link face of the link, the link face being substantially perpendicular to a linking axis defined by the link, wherein the linking axis of each link intersects the vertex of the connector hub to which the link is connected, in use, wherein each link is configured such that a linking distance of the link, which is defined as the distance between the link face of the link and the vertex of the connector hub to which it is connected in use, is or remains substantially constant irrespective of an angular position of the link relative to the connector hub, and wherein the connector hubs and the links are shaped and dimensioned such that, when two of the links are to be connected to the same connector hub in use, the connector hub is capable of accommodating connection of the two links to adjacent connecting formations of the connector hub provided that there is an angular gap of at least 15 degrees between the linking axes of the two links; and

a plurality of elongate connectors, wherein each connector has end formations at both ends thereof, each end formation being configured to mate with the connector attachment formation of the link for removable connection of the connector to the link, and via the link, to the connector hub.

2. The kit according to claim 1, wherein all of the links in the kit have a substantially equal linking distance.

3. The kit according to claim 2, wherein a connector connected to a link is connected co-axially to the linking axis of the link and the linking axis extends at an angle relative to the axis of the connector hub along which the male connecting element is connected, in use.

4. The kit according to claim 3, wherein the links include angled links, and wherein for each angled link, the angle relative to the axis of the connector hub along which the male connecting element is connected is greater than zero.

5. The kit according to claim 4, wherein the links include straight links, and wherein for each straight link, the angle relative to the axis of the connector hub along which the male connecting element is connected is zero.

6. The kit according to claim 5, wherein each link defines both the linking axis and a connecting axis, wherein the connecting axis is configured so as to be co-axial with the axis of the connector hub along which the male connecting element is connected, in use.

7. The kit according to claim 6, wherein at least some of the angled links provide different angles between the connecting axis and the linking axis.

8. The kit according to claim 7, wherein the linking axis and the connecting axis extend through the vertex of the connector hub to which the link is connected, in use.

9. The kit according to claim 8, wherein for each straight link, the linking axis and the connecting axis is the same axis.

10. The kit according to claim 1, wherein each link is rotatably connectable to the connector hub.

11. The kit according to claim 1, wherein the connecting formations in each pair of connecting formations of a particular connector hub are located at opposite sides or surfaces of the connector hub.

12. The kit according to claim 1, wherein each connector is substantially cylindrical in shape.

13. The kit according to claim 1, wherein the connecting formations of the connector hubs and the connector attachment formations of the links are female parts, and wherein the end formations of the connectors are male parts.

14. The kit according to claim 1, wherein the links are configured to be connected to the connector hubs by way of snap-fit or friction fit connections and wherein the connectors are configured to be connected to the links by way of snap-fit or friction fit connections.

15. The kit according to claim 1, wherein the kit further includes at least one coupling which is configured to allow two connectors to be removably connected to each other through connection of the connectors to respective ends of the coupling.

16. The kit according to claim 1, wherein the kit further includes at least one integrated hub-and-link component, the integrated hub-and-link component having a hub section to which links can be removably connected and a link section to which at least one of the connectors can be removably connected.

17. The kit according to claim 1, wherein the kit further includes at least one integrated connector-and-link component, the integrated connector-and-link component being configured to allow two connector hubs to be removably connected to each other through connection of the connector hubs to respective ends of the integrated connector-and-link component.

18. The kit according to claim 1, wherein at least some of the connectors have different lengths and the different lengths conform to the following length sequence: each connector has a connector length of bx, as measured between the vertices of the two connector hubs to which it connects, in use, calculated using a selected base length b0 and the following formula for additional lengths: b1=b0*√2; b2=b1*√2; b3=b2*√2, etc.

19. The kit according to claim 18, wherein at least some of the connectors have different lengths and the different lengths conform to the following length sequence: each connector has a connector length of cx, as measured between the vertices of the two connector hubs to which it connects, in use, calculated using the formula cx=bx*√3/√2.

20. The kit according to claim 1, wherein the angular gap is at least 30 degrees.

21. A connector hub for use in a construction kit according to claim 1, the connector hub comprising:

a first pair of connecting formations defining a first axis of the connector hub between them;

a second pair of connecting formations defining a second axis of the connector hub between them, the first axis and the second axis being orthogonal to each other and intersecting so as to define a vertex of the connector hub; and

a third axis which is orthogonal to the first axis and the second axis and intersects both the first axis and the second axis at the vertex, at least one additional connecting formation being defined on the third axis.

22. A link for use in a construction kit according to claim 21, the link comprising:

a hub attachment formation configured to mate with each of the connecting formations of the connector hub for connection of the link to the connector hub, the hub attachment formation including a male connecting element and a flange, the male connecting element being configured to be connected to one of the connecting formations of the connector hub along the axis associated with that connecting formation, the axis being one of the first axis, the second axis or the third axis of the connector hub, and the flange defining a mating surface which is shaped and dimensioned to mate with a complemental surface of the connector hub when the male connecting element is connected to the connecting formation; and

a connector attachment formation located at or near a link face of the link, the link face being substantially perpendicular to a linking axis defined by the link, wherein the linking axis of the link intersects the vertex of the connector hub to which the link is connected, in use, and wherein the link is configured such that a linking distance of the link, which is defined as the distance between the link face of the link and the vertex of the connector hub to which it is connected in use, is or remains substantially constant irrespective of an angular position of the link relative to the connector hub.