TITLE OF THE INVENTION

Toy Construction Elements

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to toys and is more particularly directed to construction elements

which interconnect to form toys of various shapes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

U.S. patent no. 6,508,690 dated January 21, 2003 describes a toy composed of a con¬

struction element which may be connected to like elements in such a way that the thickness of the

connected elements is the same as the thickness of each individual element. The interconnected

elements may be formed into such objects as squares, hexagons, prisms and other geometric

shapes.

The construction element described in the above-noted patent has straight parallel edges

running along the bottom and top of the element and a triangular section hinged to each of its

sides. The subject invention is directed toward construction elements of other shapes such as

squares, hexagons and odd-sided figures such as five-, six- and seven-sided construction elements.

These elements can be attached to each other and to the construction element described in the

above-noted patent.

Construction elements having these other shapes can be used to form a large number of

differently shaped objects which cannot be formed solely from the construction element described

in the above-noted patent. Those bodies include fanciful animals, toy cars, toy houses and many

other objects.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One embodiment of the toy construction element of the subject invention comprises: a rectangular fastener having a hinge which extends diagonally across the fastener and which

divides the fastener into two similar triangular segments or flaps. A connecting means is

associated with each flap.

Another embodiment of the construction element comprises: a polygonal body having an upper first section and indented second sections equal to the number of sides of the body. Each

indented section is triangular and has an outer edge defined by one side and a pair of inner edges

which extend inward from the outer edge. Each indented section is provided with a connecting

means.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The toy construction elements of the invention comprise two distinct components, a

fastener and a polygonal body. The two components are illustrated in the drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the fastener;

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the fastener;

Figure 3 is an elevation of the fastener;

Figure 4 is a top plan view of a six-sided polygonal body;

Figure 5 is a bottom plan view of the polygonal body of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is an elevation of the polygonal body on line 6-6 of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a top plan view of a five-sided polygonal body;

Figure 8 is a bottom plan view of the five-sided body of Figure 7;

Figure 9 is an elevation of the five-sided body of Figures 7 and 8;

Figure 10 is a top plan view of a square polygonal body;

Figure 11 is a bottom plan view of the square body of Figure 10; and

Figure 12 is an elevation of the square body of Figures 10 and 11.

Figures 13 and 14 are top and bottom plan views, respectively, of a second embodiment of

a five-sided polygonal body;

Figures 15 and 16 are top and bottom plan views, respectively, of a nine-sided polygonal

body;

Figures 17 and 18 are top and bottom plan views, respectively, of a nine-sided polygonal

body which is the mirror image of the nine-sided polygonal body of Figures 15 and 16;

Figures 19 and 20 are top and bottom plan views, respectively, of a third embodiment of a

five-sided polygonal body; and

Figures 21 and 22 are top and bottom plan views, respectively, of a second embodiment of

a six-sided polygonal body.

Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the description of the drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference to Figure 1, the fastener, generally 20, is in the shape of a square and has a

living hinge 22 which extends diagonally across the fastener and divides the fastener into two similar triangular segments or flaps 24.

With reference to Figures 2 and 3, on the lower wall of the fastener are two bosses, 28.

The bosses are on opposite sides of the hinge and on diagonally opposite sides of the fastener.

Each boss is composed of resilient curved elements 32a,b which extend outwardly from the lower

wall of the fastener and which together define a portion of the circumference of a circle.

With reference to Figures 4 and 5, the six-sided polygonal or hexagonal body, generally

36, has a living hinge 38 which extends diagonally across the body between diagonally opposite

corners 40, 42. The body has six sides 44 and oppositely facing top and bottom walls 46,48,

respectively.

With reference to Figure 4, the top wall of the hexagonal body is composed of two areas: a

raised six-pointed star-shaped first section 46a and six indented triangular or second sections 46b.

Each indented section has an outer edge 52a defined by a portion of one side edge 44 of the body

and a pair of inwardly extending inner edges 52b,c which extend inwardly and intersect at a right

angle.

With reference to Figure 5, the indented areas of the bottom wall are the opposite of those

of the top wall. Thus the star-shaped area 48a is indented while the triangular areas 48b are raised.

With reference again to Figure 4, each indented section 46b is slightly larger than the

triangular flaps 24 of the fastener. The flaps of the fastener, accordingly, fit into any one of the

indented sections of the hexagonal body.

With reference to Figures 6 and 3, the depth 54 of each indented section 46b of the

hexagonal body is equal to the thickness 56 of the fastener such that when a flap 24 of the fastener

is fitted into an indented section of the hexagonal body, the top wall 24a of the flap is flush with

the top wall 46a of the star-shaped section.

A circular opening 58 is formed in each indented section and is located such that when a

flap of the fastener is within an indented section of the hexagonal body, the curved elements of

boss 28 snap resiliently into and out of the circular opening. Accordingly, the circular openings

are complementary second connecting means for bosses or first connecting means 28 since the

circular openings cooperate with the curved elements of the boss to attach the hexagonal body to

the fastener. The five-sided body and the square body illustrated in Figures 7 to 12 have

a construction similar to the just-described hexagonal body. The five-sided body illustrated in

Figures 7 to 9 has a raised five pointed star-shaped area 60 on its upper wall. Five indented

triangular areas 61 each having a circular opening 62 are also formed on the upper wall. Like openings 58 on the six-sided body described previously, the circular openings serve as second

complementary connecting means for the bosses of the fastener.

The square body illustrated in Figures 10-12 has an upper raised wall 66 which is

composed of a cross-shaped upper raised or first section 66a and four triangular second sections

66b. The indented sections extend inwardly from each side 68 of the body and terminate at a right angle 70. The indented sections are slightly larger than the size of the flaps of the fastener. A

circular opening 72 is formed in each indented section and the openings complement or cooperate

with the bosses 28 of the fastener in the same way as is described above. The indented sections

also are the same thickness as the thickness of the flaps of the fastener.

The five-sided and square bodies differ from the illustrated hexagonal body in the number of hinges with which each body is provided. The illustrated five-sided body has no hinge while

the square body has two 74a b which are oriented at right angles to each other. The hinges must be

straight and extend from one corner of the body to an opposite corner. Whether a body in which a

hinge can be formed in fact has one, is a matter of choice.

With reference to Figure 13, the five sided polygonal body, generally 80, has a central

segment 82 defined by oppositely facing side edges 84, 86 and oppositely facing top and bottom

edges 88, 90. The side edges are approximately double the length of the top and bottom edges.

The central segment has a triangular indentation 92 defined by three sides, one side being

the bottom edge 90. A triangular upper flap 94 is pivotally connected by means of a living hinge

to the top edge 88.

A lateral segment 96 is pivotally attached by means of a living hinge to each side edge 84,

86. Each lateral segment has an outer edge 98 defined, in part, by an edge 98a of a triangular

indentation 100 and, in part, by two edges 98b,c of a triangular flap 102. The latter flap is

connected to the adjacent area of the lateral segment by a living hinge.

Preferably the five-sided body 80 is pivotal along a straight line 108 which extends continuously across the body. The line has a first section 108a which is disposed between the

triangular indentation 100 and flap 102 of one lateral segment, a second section 108b which

extends across the central segment and a third section 108c which is disposed between the

triangular indentation and flap of the other lateral segment.

With reference to Figure 15, the nine-sided polygonal body, generally 120 has an

equilateral triangular central segment 122 defined by side edges 124,126,128. A lateral segment

130 is pivotally attached by a living hinge to each side edge. Each lateral segment has an outer

edge 132 having upper and lower sections 132a,b. The upper section defines two edges of a triangular flap 134 joined to the remainder of the lateral section by a living hinge while the lower

section defines one edge of a triangular indentation 136.

The nine-sided polygonal body of Figure 15 is preferably pivotal along a living hinge or

straight line 138 which extends across the body and has a first section 138a which extends across

the central segment while the second section 138b is disposed between flap 134a and triangular

indentation 136a.

Figures 17 and 18 show the top and bottom walls of a nine-sided polygonal body,

generally 150 which is a mirror image of the nine-sided polygonal body 120 illustrated in Figures

15 and 16. The central segment 152 of body 150 has the same shape as the central segment 122 of

body 120 but the position of the triangular indentation 154 and flap 156 in the lateral segments 158 is reversed from that in lateral segment 130. In all other respects however the two bodies 120, 150 are the same.

Figures 19 and 20 show the upper and lower walls of a five-sided polygonal body,

generally 160 having a different structure from the five-sided body 80 illustrated in Figures 13 and

14. Body 160 has a triangular central segment 162 defined by three edges 164a,b and c. Triangular flaps 166 are connected to the two edges 164a,b by means of a living hinge while the remaining edge 164c defines one side of a triangular indentation 168. The other two sides 170 of the

indentation are spaced apart from edges 164a, b of the central segment.

Figures 21 and 22 show the upper and lower walls of a six-sided polygonal body, generally

200, having a triangular central segment or component 202 defined by three edges or borders

204a, b and c. Triangular flaps or appendages 206, 208, and 210 are connected to the three borders

by means of living hinges. A boss or third connecting means is formed in the bottom wall of each

appendage.

Each indented section of the polygonal bodies of Figures 4 to 20 is slightly larger than the triangular flaps in the fastener and in Figures 13 to 22. The flaps accordingly fit into any one of

the indented sections. The flaps may accordingly be fastened face-to-face with the indented

sections. As well, the thickness of the flaps is substantially the same as the indentations of the

polygonal bodies such that the top wall of each flap when fastened in any indentation is flush with

the top wall of the central segment of the polygonal bodies.

Similarly, first and second connecting means in the form of bosses and circular openings respectively are formed on the flaps and in the indentations of the polygonal bodies of Figures 13

to 22 in the same way as on and in the fastener and polygonal bodies of Figures 1 to 12.

The fastener and polygonal bodies are constructed of resilient material, preferably plastic.

Other materials may also be used such as those mentioned in the above-noted patent, the contents

of which are included in this application by reference.

It will be understood, of course, that modifications can be made in the structure of the

fastener and polygonal bodies described herein without departing from the scope and purview of

the invention as defined in the appended claims. For example the flaps of the fastener and the

polygonal bodies may be provided with circular openings instead of bosses and the indented

sections can be provided with bosses which fit into the circular openings for interconnecting the

polygonal bodies and the fasteners.

Means other than bosses and circular openings may be used for interconnecting the flaps

and indented sections. For example a metallic strip of iron, steel or alloy may be attached

to either the flaps or indented sections and a magnet for attracting the strip may be attached to the

other.