WO2009074771A1

WO2009074771A1 - Construction toy especially for young children

Info

Publication number: WO2009074771A1
Application number: PCT/GB2008/003987
Authority: WO
Inventors: Rabah Aggar
Original assignee: Rabah Aggar
Priority date: 2007-12-11
Filing date: 2008-12-02
Publication date: 2009-06-18

Abstract

A construction toy formed with a plurality of generally flat tiles having different shapes to include a triangle having one or more concave and/or one or more convex side walls and a leaf having two concave side walls. The side walls of the tiles are formed with one or more tongues and/or one or more grooves so that tiles can be interlocked with each other to build a wide range of patterns.

Description

CONSTRUCTION TOY ESPECIALLY FOR YOUNG CHILDREN

The present invention relates to a construction toy, comprising a plurality of triangular tiles having complementary, concave and convex side walls, which are detachably interlocked with each other by tongues and grooves to build patterns. Various types of assembly tiles using tongues and grooves are known. These tiles are used to create two or three dimensional shapes or structures. The patterns created with these construction sets are formed with straight edges resulting in lack of creativity and lack of interest. The present invention provides with an improvement in assembly construction toy made especially for young children, comprising a plurality of tiles to build shapes and patterns in two dimensional scope. These patterns have concave and/or convex edges resulting in more creative and more desirable and attractive shapes in order to entertain and progressively stimulate the ingenuity of young children and develop their initiative and their imagination. Accordingly it is an object of the present invention to accomplish these objections by providing a construction toy set which is so simple that its appeal to a young child will be instant.

There is provided in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention an assembly toy comprising a plurality of tiles formed with a variety of different shapes and colors, which can be interlocked with each other by tongues and corresponding grooves. The tiles are provided in a plurality of different shapes to include a triangle having one or more concave and/or one or more convex complementary side walls and a petal formed of two concave side walls; each said tile is provided with a top surface and a plurality of side walls arranged at the periphery of said top surface; each said tile include one or more tongues and/or one or more grooves formed into the peripheral side walls so that tiles can be detachably interlocked with each other to form a wide range of patterns. Furthermore, the tiles may be provided with tongues formed into the bottom part of the side walls and grooves formed into the bottom base of the side walls so that tongues and grooves are hidden by the top surface when a plurality of tiles are interlocked with each other.

Other objects, advantageous and novel features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description accompanying the following drawings, in which; FIGS.Ito 5 show perspective views of triangular tiles having concave and convex side walls according to the present invention.

FIGS.6 shows a top perspective view of another tile formed with a shape of a leaf having two concave side walls. FIGS.7 to 11 illustrates another set of triangular tiles having concave and convex side walls formed as alternatives of the tiles of FIGS.1 to 5.

FIG.12 illustrates another tile having a shape of a leaf formed as an alternative of the tile of FIG.6.

FIGS.13 to 15 show pairs of different tongues and corresponding grooves that may be used with the tiles of the present invention. FIGS.16 to 26 illustrates patterns, at a reduced scale, formed with the combination of the tiles of the present invention. Referring to the drawings: FIGS.1 to 6, the preferred embodiments of the toy set of the present invention which are explained as follows.

The construction toy of the present invention comprises tiles 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 of respectively FIGS.1 to 6 which are formed with a top surface 17 and complementary concave and/or convex side walls.

FIG.1 shows a top perspective view of a tile 10 formed of triangular shape having three concave peripheral side walls 11. FIG.2 shows a top perspective view of a tile 20 formed of triangular shape having three convex peripheral side walls 12. FIG.3 shows a top perspective view of a tile 30 formed with triangular shape having two concave peripheral side wallsi 1 and one convex peripheral side wall 12. FIG.4 shows a top perspective view of a tile 40 formed with a triangular shape having two convex peripheral side walls 12 and one concave peripheral side wall 11. FIG.6 shows a top perspective view of a tile 50 which has a shape of a petal being formed of two concave peripheral side walls 11 which are complementary to the convex peripheral side walls 12 of the tiles of the present invention. The tile 50 may also be provided in an oval shape having two concave arcs. FIG.5 illustrates a bottom perspective view of the tile 30 of FIG.3.

The convex and concave side walls of the tiles of the present invention are all complementary to each other. From FIGS.1 to 6, we can see the peripheral side wallsi 1and12 of the tiles 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 are formed with a tongue 22 or with a corresponding groove 21 so that two or more tiles can be detachably interlocked with each other to form a wide range of patterns. Another alternative of the tiles of FIGS.1 to 6 is shown in FIGS.7 to11 , where the tiles are formed of triangular shapes having concave and convex side walls. As shown from the tiles of FIGS.7 to 11 , the grooves 21 are formed in the bottom part of the side walls and the tongues 22 are formed in the bottom base of the tiles so that the tongues and grooves will be hidden by the top surface 17 of the tiles when a plurality of tiles are assembled with each other. The tongues 22 of the tiles of FIGS.1 to 5 may also be formed on the lower part of the side walls such as the ones shown in the tiles of FIGS.7 to 11. The concave and convex side walls of the tiles of the present invention may be formed with more than one groove 21 or more than one tongue 22 as shown from the tile 500 of FIG.12. The top surface 17 of the tiles of present invention is shown flat but can be made in any other shape.

Preferably the tongues 22 are provided in the convex side walls 12 and the corresponding grooves 21 are formed on the concave side walls 11 , but the tongues 22 and grooves 21 can be formed on both concave and convex side walls. The corners of the tiles of the present invention may also be formed with tongues or grooves.

The triangular shapes of the tiles shown in FIGS.1 to 5 and FIGS.7 to 11 are shaped from an equilateral triangle having concave and/or convex side walls, but can be made from any other triangular shape such as the triangular shapes shown from the tiles of the pattern of FIG.24. The tiles of the present invention may also be formed in any other polygonal shape, such as a square or a rectangle having any combination of concave and convex side walls or can be formed with only concave or with only convex side walls such as the tiles shown from the pattern of FIG.25. Tiles of different shapes can be combined in a variety of different ways to form different construction toy sets, as it is not necessary to have both triangular shaped tiles and leaf shaped tiles, at the same time, to form a construction toy set as shown from FIGS.16 to 26. A set of only triangular tiles can be made as a construction set. The bottom side of the tiles of the present invention can be provided as hollow as shown from the tile 30 of FIG.5 or can be formed as a whole block. The tongues and grooves of the tiles of the present invention may be formed having the shapes shown in FIGS.13 to 15 or can be made from any other shape. The tiles of the present invention may be formed from wood, foam materials such as E.V.A (ethylene vinyl acetate) or from any suitable plastic material.

Tiles of different colors are detachably interlocked with each other in a combination of different ways so that a wide range of designs and patterns can be created such as the patterns shown, at a reduced scale, from FIGS. 16-26. The top surface of the tiles of the present invention may be formed with characters or drawings so that the tiles can be used for educational purposes or to be used for puzzles.

The top surface 17 of one or more of the tiles of the present invention may be formed with at least one cylindrical or polygonal studs protruding therefrom. The present invention has been disclosed for illustrative but not limitative purposes, it will be obvious that modifications and changes may be introduced.

Claims

1 , A construction toy set comprising; a plurality of interlockable tiles configured to be assembled together to form patterns; at least one of the tiles being a triangle having three sides and having one or more concave and/or one or more convex side walls; each said tile being provided with a top surface and a plurality of peripheral side walls arranged at the periphery of said top surface; each said tile including one or more tongues and /or one or more grooves formed into the said peripheral side walls so that tiles can be removably interlocked with each other.

2.A construction toy set according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the tiles is a petal shape having two concave side walls.

3.A construction toy set according to claim 1 , wherein each said convex peripheral side wall of each said tile is complementary to each said concave peripheral side wall of each said tile.

4.A construction toy set according to claim 1 in which the tongues and grooves extend over only part of the height of the side walls.

5. A construction toy set according to claimi , wherin at least one of the tiles has only convex side walls.

6. A construction toy set according to claimi , wherein at least one of the tiles has only concave side walls.