WO2016101946A1

WO2016101946A1 - Building block and building kit

Info

Publication number: WO2016101946A1
Application number: PCT/DE2015/100384
Authority: WO
Inventors: Daniel Stead
Original assignee: Daniel Stead
Priority date: 2014-12-23
Filing date: 2015-09-08
Publication date: 2016-06-30
Also published as: DE102014119577A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a building block and to a building kit consisting of a plurality of such building blocks. Said building block has a cuboid-shaped, particularly cube-shaped body with six sides. These six sides comprise five socket sides (2, 3, 4, 5, 6) and one plug side (1) designed to form a plug connection with a socket side (2) of a building block of the same design, each socket side (2) comprising two or more sockets (21, 22), and the plug side (1) having at least one plug (11) which can be plugged into a socket (21) of a socket side (2) of a building block of the same design. A cavity (7) extends from a cavity opening (70) formed in one of the six sides of the body, into said body.

Description

Title:

Building Block and Kit Description:

The invention relates to building blocks, which by means of connectors

interconnected and assembled into larger structures.

Such devices can be used for example for the production of models in the planning of workpieces, facilities or buildings. With appropriate dimensioning of the blocks, they can also be used to form home furnishings, interiors or even buildings or parts of buildings by simple connectors. The use as a toy is possible. US3005282A shows a known example of assemblable building blocks with parallelepiped bodies. Each body has recesses on a first side surface and nubs on a second side surface opposite the first side surface. Two identical building blocks of this kind can be connected to each other by means of a

Plug connection can be connected by the nubs of a block are inserted into the recesses of the other block.

The disadvantage of such components is that they can only be connected to one another at these mutually opposite side surfaces. As a result, the structures that can be produced with such building blocks are limited in their diversity. In addition, it is difficult to expand existing structures, as they must be at least partially disassembled before. More flexible structures can be combined with building blocks known from DE1603668A1, which depressions also have on end faces which are arranged perpendicular to the first and the second side face. As a result, further components can also be attached to these

Connect end faces by means of plug connections. However, the components known from DE1603668A1 have only one recess or one knob on each side, so that the modules can only be plugged in centered relative to one another. In addition, the structures formed therefrom are relatively unstable, since a module is connected to a neighboring module only by a single connection. The components shown in CN2698429Y offer far more flexibility for stable connections. Bn such block has on a first side surface two arranged along a side diagonal connector and two arranged along the second side diagonal holes. The holes can each one

Take a plug of a similar block to make a plug connection between the two blocks. The other five side surfaces each have four such holes. This design has the advantage that a device with its first side surface can be plugged into all side surfaces of another device since the necessary holes are present on all six side surfaces of the other device. However, such components are very complex in their production, since each component itself must be composed of several individual parts, namely the inner and outer walls. In addition, the

Structures that can be assembled from the building blocks have many holes that break up the closed surface of the structure and that for some applications in the manufacture of prototypes or others

Objects can be annoying.

It is an object of the invention to provide a module and a kit that allow the construction of complex and yet stable structures in a simple manner and which are also inexpensive and efficient to produce. The object is according to the invention by a block with the

Characteristics of claim 1 and solved by a kit with the features of claim 10. Advantageous developments of the invention are listed in the subclaims. According to the invention, a building block with a cuboid body with six sides is proposed. The six pages are five

Socket sides, which in each case have two or more sockets, and a connector side, which has at least one connector. At two

identically designed blocks, the plug of the plug side of a block can be plugged into one of the sockets of one of the socket sides of the other block, so as to provide a plug connection between the two

Building blocks. The package further includes a cavity extending from a cavity opening into the body.

The formation of the device with a cavity has the advantage that material can be saved. In addition, due to the cavity

ensures that the device does not deform during the manufacturing process, for example during a cooling or annealing process. In addition, the production of the block, for example by means of

Injection molding facilitates because the mold can engage in the cavity. In a preferred embodiment, it is provided that the cavity is formed substantially undercutting as seen from the cavity opening. This means in particular that the inner walls, which form the cavity, have no undercuts. The cavity is formed due to the undercut-free embodiment in such a way that the block can be produced by means of an injection molding process.

Preferably, the cavity has a shape which is at least partially formed by means of parallel displacement or extrusion of a two-dimensional basic shape into the body, for example a prism shape. Alternatively or additionally, the cavity may partially taper from the cavity opening into the body.

The cavity opening is formed in one of the six sides of the body, for example in one of the five sides of the socket. In an advantageous However, it is provided that the cavity opening in the

Plug side of the body is formed. This means that the cavity opens at the plug side. This has the advantage that when plugging the module to an existing structure of other components, the cavity can be easily hidden.

In an expedient embodiment, it is provided that the plug is columnar, in particular cylindrical, and extends from the plug side into the cavity. Preferably, the columnar shape of the plug extends substantially along the entire length of the plug

Cavity into the body. Preferably, the pillar of the plug abuts or grows out of this inner wall (s) on an inner wall or on two inner walls of the cavity. This has the advantage that the columnar plug is supported by the inner wall. In addition, it is advantageous if the cavity has a circumferential recess around the plug at this inner wall / walls. As a result, curves are avoided in the edges between the inner wall and the plug, so that when you form the connector, the connector side and the female side of the two blocks come to rest closely together.

Preferably, the plug itself has a plug cavity or the plug is designed as a hollow body or hollow element. At a

columnar plug, such a plug cavity preferably extends along the entire plug column. By the plug is designed as a hollow body, it can be made very precise in its dimensions and its design.

According to a preferred embodiment, it is provided that the

Cavity from the cavity opening to at least 60% 70% 80% 90% 95% extends into the body. The cavity of the opening opposite side of the block is correspondingly thinner with prolonged extension of the cavity into the body. This saves more material. Preferably, it is provided that at least one of the five socket sides of the body has five sockets. Form four of these five jacks

preferably corner points of a square on the socket side, while the fifth socket is located in the center of the square. Preferably, the five jacks are arranged so that when arranging another block to the block such that two socket sides are flush with each other, the fifth socket in the center of the square of the one block and the fifth socket in the center of the square of the other block from each other the distance have a side of the square. Due to this staggered arrangement of the fifth socket blocks can be plugged offset from each other.

The staggered arrangement of the fifth jack means that the jacks on the jack side are arranged in a two-dimensional center-square grid. Preferably, the jacks are arranged such that when juxtaposing several blocks such that the socket side are in the same plane, the jacks lie on grid points of a two-dimensional centered-square grid. In a preferred embodiment it is provided that at least two of the five socket sides or that all five socket sides are configured identically. Preferably, two of the five jack sides or all five

Socket pages have substantially identical geometries and dimensions. As a result, the assembly of such blocks to larger structures is greatly simplified.

Among other things, the side lengths of the building block can be formed in the ratio 1: 1: 2 (1: 1: 2), in the ratio 1: 2: 2, or in the ratio 2: 2: 3. In an advantageous embodiment, it is provided that the body in

Essentially cube-shaped, which corresponds to a ratio of

Side lengths of 1: 1: 1 corresponds, so that all female sides and the

Plug side are substantially square. Cube-shaped building blocks have the advantage that a structure made with them from every perspective along a block axis shows the same division or resolution, ie the same number of blocks per unit length.

The module is therefore preferably cube-shaped or cubic. This means in particular that the body would be cubic if one were to remove the plugs on the plug side. Since the plugs are plugged into a neighboring device anyway, this embodiment has the advantage that the device is perceived as cubic in the connected state. Alternatively, it can be provided that the body of the module together with the plugs fits into a cube-shaped space in such a way that the plug end faces touch a surface plane of the cube-shaped space. Cubic building blocks are best suited for forming shapes and figures with versatile geometries that can intermesh and slide along each other.

In an expedient embodiment, it is provided that each bush is designed in the form of a depression in the respective bushing side in such a way that the bushing side consists of a plane lying in an outer surface plane

Outside surface and openings in the outer surface is formed, wherein the recess extends from the outer surface to a recess bottom. The

Well bottoms of all bushes on a bushing side are preferably located on a depression plane that is parallel to the outer surface plane. Preferably, the distance between the outer surface plane and the depression plane, ie the depth of a bush, is on the order of 20% to 70% of the width of a bushing, preferably of the order of 40% to 60% of the width of a bushing.

According to a preferred embodiment, it is provided that each bush is designed in the form of a recess in the respective bushing side such that the bushing side of a lying in an outer surface plane

Outside surface and openings in the outer surface is formed, wherein a

Area ratio between the outer surface and the openings formed in the outer surface is at least 50% 55% 60% 65% or 70%. ever greater the percentage ratio between the outer surface and the

The more openings there are, the more uniform a surface is made up of

Merging of several building blocks formed structure. Along such a surface, other structures and elements may then slide along. Being ready percentage greater than 50% has the advantage that the outer surface outweighs the openings.

Preferably, the outer surface formed on a female side is contiguous. That is, it is possible to form from one point on the outer surface to every other point on the outer surface a wheel that runs completely on the outer surface plane.

Preferably, no opening is formed between a bushing and the cavity in the body so that apart from the cavity opening there is no connection between the cavity and the environment of the building block.

The bushings preferably have openings which are in each case square or each have four square corners. In the latter case, the corners are preferably connected with inwardly bent edges, so that the openings are formed as pillowed squares.

The plug preferably has a circular base, or a base adapted to the shape of the sockets. Preferably, the plug has a base in the form of a pillow-shaped recorded square. If a socket has a square shape in the form of a pad, then a plug with a circular base inserted in it can lead to a rotatable plug connection, while a plug with a suitable base plugged into it can lead to a static plug connection. A plug with such a customized base can also help with the insertion of the block when inserting the block. The module is preferably made of a plastic, in particular of a polymer. It can be made of a thermoplastic material. The module is preferably a

Injection molded part. For example, the building block may be made from acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS), from a polycarbonate such as, for example, macroion, or from another polyester, for example from a copolyester such as the material Tritan ™ from Eastman Chemical Company. Alternatively or additionally, the block may be formed from a material, in particular from a bioplastic, which contains renewable raw materials, for example wood flour, starch, castor oil, lignin, chitin, lactic acid, cereal proteins, chitosan, casein, gelatin, other crude oils or a mixture of these raw materials.

A side length of the module is preferably in a range between 5 mm and 4 cm, preferably between 8 mm and 2 cm. The bushes preferably have a width of between 1 mm and 8 mm. In particular

Embodiments, the block has edge lengths of a maximum of 9 cm, 7 cm or 5 cm and / or at least 2 mm, 5 mm or 8 mm. The kit according to the invention preferably includes a plurality of identically designed and / or a plurality of differently designed components according to the

previously described embodiments. In addition, other components may be provided in the kit, which do not fall under the embodiments described above.

The invention will be explained below with reference to embodiments with reference to the figures. Hereby show:

Fig. 1 shows a block according to an embodiment in perspective

View;

FIG. 2 shows a plan view of a socket side of the module from FIG. 1; FIG.

3 shows the block of FIG. 1 in a different perspective with a view into the

Cavity; 4 is a plan view of a plug side of the block of FIG. 3;

Fig. 5 shows a block according to another embodiment in

perspective view overlooking a plug side;

FIG. 6 shows a plan view of the plug side of the module from FIG. 5; FIG.

Fig. 7 shows a block according to a third embodiment in

perspective view;

Fig. 8 shows the block of FIG. 7 in a different perspective with a view into the

Cavity;

9 shows a building block according to a fourth embodiment in FIG

perspective view;

Fig. 10 shows the block of FIG. 9 in another perspective with a view into the

Cavity;

11 shows a building block according to a fifth embodiment in FIG

perspective view; and

Fig. 12 shows the block of FIG. 11 in a different perspective with a view into the

Cavity;

1 to 4, a block according to a first embodiment is shown with a cube-shaped body. A perspective view in Fig. 1 shows three sides of the socket 2, 3, 6 of the body, which are all the same design as the two sides not visible in this perspective pages. FIG. 2 shows a plan view of a socket side 2, which can also be seen in FIG. In Figure 3, the block is shown from a different perspective, of which a plug side 1 of the cube-shaped body is visible. Finally, in Fig. 4 is a plan view of this connector side. 1

shown.

Since the socket sides 2, 3, 6 of the block are the same, only the side of the socket 2 visible in FIG. 2 will be discussed below. This has five complete sockets 21, 22, 23, 24, 25. Four sockets 21, 22, 23, 24 are arranged at corners of a square, while the fifth socket 25 is placed in the center of the same square. The bushes 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 are formed as depressions on the bushing side 2, which in each case of an opening 26 in the outer surface 20 extend to a recess bottom 27. The well bottoms 27 are disposed on a common plane that is parallel and spaced from the plane of the outer surface 20. The distance between these two levels is equal to the depth of the

Wells or the sockets 21, 22, 23, 24, 25.

The bushes 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 are in this embodiment about half as deep as they are wide. Furthermore, at the four edges of the socket side 2 in each case a half-socket 211 and at the corners of the socket side 2 in each case a quarter-socket 221 are formed. If two building blocks with the same shape

Socket sides 2 are arranged side by side so that touch the two socket sides 2 in alignment with one edge, so that the outer surfaces 20 of the two socket sides 2 lie in a common plane, then the corresponding half-sockets 211 to a common

complete socket. The same applies to the quarter jacks 221 at the corners of the socket side 2. If four blocks with

identically designed female sides 2 are arranged side by side so that they touch each other at a corner of the female side 2, wherein the

Outer surfaces 20 of the four socket sides 2 lie in a common plane, then complement the arranged at the touching four corners

Quarter jacks 221 to a complete jack.

The outer surface 20 is composed of plateaus, which have arisen due to the openings 26 in the outer surface 20. The plateaus are in the present case connected to one another via webs 28, so that the outer surface 20 is connected. In other words, any two points on the outer surface 20 of the female side 2 can be joined together by a curve running along the outer surface 20 without leaving the plane of the outer surface 20.

As can be clearly seen in FIG. 2, the area fraction of the openings 26 to the surface portion of the outer surface 20 is less than 50%. The bushes 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 each have a square shape in the form of a pillow, while the plateaus each have a barrel-shaped registered square shape, at the corners of the webs 28 each extend to another plateau. From Fig. 3 it can be seen that the plug side 1 has a cavity opening 70, from which a cavity 7 extends into the body. The cavity 7 extends approximately so far into the body that the plug side 1 opposite bushing side 6 has approximately the same thickness as the other, the cavity 7 surrounding bush sides 2, 3, 4, 5. The cavity itself is essentially cuboid or cube-shaped.

The plug side 1 has four plugs 11, which are arranged at four corners of a square such that, when the plug side 1 is placed on the socket side 2 of another component shown in FIG. 2, it is placed in the four sockets 21 arranged at the corners of the square. 22, 23, 24 can be plugged in to a plug connection between the two blocks

train. The plugs 11 extend into the cavity 7 in the shape of a column, in each case abutting against an edge of the cavity 7 or emerging from this edge. In the area of the connector side 1, the plugs 11 j edoch by means of the plug 11 surrounding recesses 71 of the

Conversion of the cavity 7 separately.

In Figure 4, the half-sockets 211 and the quarter-sockets 221 of the connector side 1 surrounding socket sides 2, 3, 4, 5 are visible.

As is apparent from Figures 3 and 4, the plug 11 in this

Embodiment on a circular cross-section. If the plug side 1 is placed on a socket side 2 of another block, that only a plug 1 is inserted into one of the sockets 21, 22,, 23, 24, 25, then the two so nested blocks can be rotated against each other on their contact plane be because the connector is rotationally symmetric. Another embodiment of the plug is shown in Figs. 5 and 6. In this embodiment of the device, the female sides are shaped as shown in Figs. 1-4. However, the plugs 11 have a quadrangular

Cross-section, in the form of a pillow-shaped square. The cross-section of a plug 11 is in this case designed so that it can be accurately inserted into one of the bushings 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 described above. In the case described above, that only one plug 11 is inserted into one of the sockets 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, the two blocks connected to one another no longer rotate counter to one another.

The plug 11 of Figure 4 and the connector of FIG. 6 are designed as a hollow body, in particular as a hollow cylinder. In addition to the plugs 11, and due to the different cross-sectional shape of the recesses 71, the features of the two different embodiments shown in Figure 4 and in FIG. 6 are similar.

The embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 to 6 are building blocks with cube-shaped bodies. So the block has one

Aspect ratio of 1 to 1 to 1 (1: 1: 1). Here are all five

Socket pages 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 of the same design and each have five jacks 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, while the plug side has four connectors 11.

Successively, some other possible embodiments of the block will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 12. FIGS. 7 and 8 show a component according to another embodiment with a aspect ratio of 2 to 3 to 3 (2: 3: 3). In the two FIGS. 7 and 8, the block is shown from different perspectives. The female sides 2, 4 at the end faces of the body are each formed like the female side 2, 3, 4, 5 of the blocks shown in Figs. 1 to 6. However, the plug side 1 has six plugs 11, while the plug side opposite bushing side 6 has eight sockets. The module shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 has a side length ratio of 1: 1: 2 and has two plugs on the plug side. The end faces of the elongated block are formed as socket sides 2, 4 with in each case only one socket, while the other three socket sides 3, 5, 6 are designed identically and in each case have two sockets.

11 and 12 each show a perspective view from different perspectives on a flat building block in which a socket side 6 is formed like the corresponding socket side 6 of the building blocks shown in FIGS. 1 to 6. The plug side 1 is formed like the corresponding plug side 1 of the block shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. The other four

Socket pages 2, 3, 4, 5 each have only two sockets 21, 22. Furthermore, these socket sides 2, 3, 4, 5 each have two half-sockets 211 and four quarter-sockets 221. The device shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 has a aspect ratio of 1: 2: 2.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

I connector side

II plug

2, 3, 4, 5, 6 socket sides

20 outer surface

21, 22, 23, 24,25 sockets

26 openings

27 recess bottom 28 bridge

211 half-socket

221 quarter socket

7 rooms

70 cavity opening 71 recess

Claims

claims:

1. block with a cuboid, in particular threefold örmigen, body with six sides, comprising five socket sides (2, 3, 4, 5, 6) and a connector side (1), which is configured with a female side (2) of a gleichgestalteten Block to form a connector, each socket side (2) has two or more sockets (21, 22) and the connector side (1) at least one plug (11), which in a socket (21) a socket side (2) of a similar block pluggable characterized by a cavity (7) extending from a cavity opening (70) formed in one of the six sides of the body into the body.

2. Module according to claim 1, characterized in that the cavity (7) of the cavity opening (70) seen substantially

Undercut is designed.

3. Module according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the

Cavity opening (70) in the connector side (1) of the body is formed.

4. Module according to claim 3, characterized in that the plug (11) is columnar and extends from the plug side (1) in the cavity (7).

5. Component according to one of the preceding claims, characterized

characterized in that the cavity (7) extends from the cavity opening (70) to at least 60% 70% 80% 90% 95% into the body.

6. Component according to one of the preceding claims, characterized

characterized in that at least one of the five socket sides (2, 3, 4, 5, 6) of the body has five bushes (21, 22, 23, 24, 25).

7. Block according to one of the preceding claims, characterized

in that the five socket sides (2, 3, 4, 5, 6) are designed identically.

8. Block according to one of the preceding claims, characterized

in that each bushing (21) in the form of a depression is formed in the respective bushing side (2) such that the bushing side (2) consists of an outer surface (20) located in an outer surface plane and openings (26) in the outer surface (20) is, wherein the recess extends from the outer surface (20) to a recess bottom (27).

9. Block according to one of the preceding claims, characterized

in that each bushing (21) in the form of a depression is formed in the respective bushing side (2) such that the bushing side (2) consists of an outer surface (20) located in an outer surface plane and openings (26) in the outer surface (20) is, being one

Area ratio between the outer surface (20) and in the

Outer surface (20) formed openings at least 50% 55% 60% 65% or 70%.

10. Kit comprising at least one module according to one of

preceding claims and another building block according to one of the preceding claims.